UC-NRI 


•I 

^ 


GIFT   OF 


STRIKE 
INVESTIGATION 

BY  THE  COMMITTEE 
OF  THE  COPPER 
COUNTRY  COM- 
MERCIAL CLUB  OF 
MICHIGAN  1913 


.  :    ••  -:  •••••• 


His  Excellency,  Woodbridge  N.  Ferris,  Governor  of  Michigan, 
Lansing,  Mich. 

Dear  Sir:  Herewith  the  Special  Committee,  appointed  by  the 
Copper  Country  Commercial  Club  to  investigate  strike  conditions  in 
the  Copper  Mining  District  of  Michigan,  begs  leave  to  present  to 
you  its  report.  This  committee  was  appointed  at  a  meeting  of  the 
Board  of  Directors  of  the  Commercial  Club,  held  on  the  thirteenth 
day  of  September,  1913,  for  purposes  as  stated  in  the  following 
resolution,  which  was  adopted  at  that  time : 

Resolution.  The  Copper  Country  Commercial  Club  is  an 
organization  of  500  business  men  and  others  of  Houghton  and 
Keweenaw  counties,  whose  purposes,  as  stated  in  the  constitution 
of  the  club,  are  as  follows : 

"To  instill,  cultivate  and  develop  a  spirit  of  civic  pride  among 
the  people  of  the  Copper  Country,  and  an  abiding  confidence  in 
the  business  and  future  greatness  of  the  locality. 

To  upbuild,  develop  and  improve  manufacturing,  mercantile, 
agricultural  and  other  economic  conditions. 

To  cooperate  in  and  centralize  all  our  efforts  for  general  pub- 
licity. 

To  induce  people  to  come  to  the  Copper  Country  and  make 
their  homes  among  us,  and 

To  take  every  possible  means  to  promote  the  welfare  of  all  of 
the  people  of  this  community." 

For  upwards  of  seven  weeks  a  condition  of  affairs  has  existed 
and  today  exists  in  the  copper  country  which  is  nullifying  every 
effort  and  every  purpose  of  this  organization. 

On  July  23  the  Western  Federation  of  Miners  called  a  general 
strike  of  all  of  its  members  employed  in  the  mines  of  this  district, 
and  within  a  few  hours,  by  forcible  means  and  otherwise,  every 
man  employed  in  or  about  the  mines,  whether  a  member  of  the 
federation  or  not,  was  deprived  of  his  work,  thus  throwing  out  of 
employment  an  immense  body  of  men. 

From  the  day  of  its  inception  the  strike  has  been  attended  with 
rioting  and  bloodshed.  Every  day  riotous  mobs  roam  through  the 


272340 


streets  of  our  communities  and  are  held  in  check  only  by  the  force 
of  the  National  Guard  of  the  state.  Attacks  on  workingmen  are 
of  daily  occurrence;  our  jails  are  filled  with  persons  awaiting-  trial 
for  violent  acts  during  the  strike;  our  children  daily  have  before 
their  eyes  the  spectacle  of  men  acting  in  absolute  disregard  of  law 
and  order;  all  of  which  creates  a  deplorable  and  disgraceful  condi- 
tion which  should  not  be  tolerated  in  a  civilized  community. 

The  expense  already  incurred  for  maintaining  the  troops  and 
the  augmented  civil  authorities  is  enormous. 

The  mine  managers  have  refused  to  recognize  the  Western 
Federation  of  Miners  and  have  refused  to  treat  with  them;  media- 
tion and  arbitration  have  been  offered  from  various  sources  and 
refused. 

The  press  has  been  filled  with  the  claims  and  counter-claims 
of  the  opposing  parties,  none,  of  which  have  been  verified. 

Reports  of  working  conditions,  wages  and  hours  of  labor  in 
the  mines  of  the  copper  country  have  been  spread  broadcast 
throughout  the  land,  which,  if  taken  for  true,  are  a  lasting  shame 
and  disgrace  to  the  community. 

To  avoid  above  conditions,  many  of  our  best  people  have  left 
the  copper  country — some  permanently,  others  to  await  the  end  of 
the  struggle;  business  is  demoralized;  the  enormous  loss  in  wages 
to  the  men  can  never  be  regained ;  the  damage  to  the  copper  coun- 
try in  its  reputation  for  prosperity  and  well-being  cannot  be  esti- 
mated. 

In  view  of  the  above,  therefore,  we  believe  that  the  time  has 
come  when  this  organization,  whose  every  purpose  is  thus  being  de- 
stroyed, should  rise  up  and  demand  that  violence,  rioting  and  blood- 
shed must  cease  in  this  community,  and  that  the  rights  of  the  thou- 
sands of  people  who  are  not  directly  involved  in  this  strike  must 
be  recognized  and  respected. 

We  believe  that  the  Copper  Country  Commercial  Club  should, 
through  a  committee  of  its  members,  conduct  an  investigation  to 
ascertain  the  facts  and  truth  as  to  wages,  hours  and  labor  and 
working  conditions  in  general  in  the  copper  country,  and  when  the 
truth  has  been  ascertained,  should  publish  it  to  the  people  of  this 
county,  of  this  state  and  of  the  nation. 

We  believe  that  inasmuch  as  every  attempt  to  bring  about  a 
cessation  of  strike  conditions  has  failed,  this  organization  should, 
through  such  committee,  offer  its  services  to  both  employer  and 


STRIKE  INVESTIGATION  3 

employee  so  that  order  may  be  restored  and  a  resumption  of  work 
brought  about. 

It  is  therefore  resolved,  That  the  chairman  of  this  meeting  be 
authorized  to  appoint  a  committee  of  three  members  of  the  com- 
mercial club,  which  committee  is  hereby  instructed  to  take  every 
means  to  carry  out  the  purposes  herein  mentioned  with  all  possible 
speed. 

That  such  committee  may  employ  clerical  help,  and  incur  such 
expense  in  connection  with  their  work  as  may  be  necessary. 

That  such  committee  report  the  result  of  its  work,  and  that  it 
be  authorized  to  make  such  report  public  by  publishing  the  same 
in  the  press  of  this  community  and  of  the  state. 

The  Committee's  Procedure.  The  committee  felt  that  in 
order  to  make  this  report  of  any  value  whatever  it  should  preserve 
throughout  its  entire  investigation  an  unbiased  attitude,  and 
should  harbor  no  prejudice  for  or  against  any  of  the  parties  in- 
volved in  the  strike.  The  committee  recognized  from  the  begin- 
ning that  in  this  dispute,  as  in  every  other  industrial  dispute,  there 
were  many  sides  and  factions  to  be  considered.  There  were  the 
men  who  were  on  strike,  who  were  supposedly  members  of  the 
Western  Federation  of  Miners;  there  were  the  mine  operators; 
there  were  the  men,  if  any,  who  did  not  belong  to  the  Western 
Federation  of  Miners,  but  who  were  not  at  work;  there  were  the 
men  who  had  either  remained  at  work  or  had  gone  to  work  after 
the  strike  was  declared,  and  there  were  the  interests  of  the  general 
public  cf  Houghton  and  Keweenaw  counties.  In  order  to  obtain 
the  fullest  information  from  every  source  and  to  get  all  the  facts 
that  were  available,  the  committee  decided  to  place  itself  at  the 
disposal  of  all  of  these  parties,  to  hear  all  complaints,  to  investi- 
gate every  fact  in  connection  with  the  strike  that  might  be  brought 
to  its  attention,  to  familiarize  itself  with  the  actual  labor  and  living 
conditions  in  the  district,  and  to  assemble  these  facts,  if  possible,  in 
such  a  manner  that  they  might  be  easily  comprehended  by  the 
general  public. 

The  work  has  been  of  considerable  magnitude  because  of  the 
length  of  the  territory  to  be  covered,  the  number  of  mining  com- 
panies operating,  and  the  varying  conditions  in  the  different  mines. 

Within  a  day  or  two  after  its  appointment,  the  committee 
waited  upon  the  managers  of  the  various  mines  in  the  district,  with 
the  request  that  they  throw  open  to  the  committee  all  the  informa- 


4  STRIKE  INVESTIGATION 

tion  that  they  might  have  relative  to  working  conditions  in  their 
mines,  and  with  the  further  request  that  the  committee  might  have 
free  access  to  the  books  and  documents,  the  plants  and  under- 
ground workings  of  the  various  companies,  so  that  it  might  verify 
and  prove  for  itself  any  statements  that  it  might  embody  in  its 
report.  These  requests  were  at  once  cheerfully  granted  by  every 
manager  in  the  district. 

The  committee  then  located  an  office  at  Calumet,  that  being 
understood  to  be  the  center  of  the  strike  zone  and  being  the  place 
where  the  Western  Federation  of  Miners  had  established  its  head- 
quarters. Notices  were  inserted  in  the  various  newspapers  in  the 
county,  calling  attention  to  the  general  public,  to  the  strikers,  and 
to  workingmen  of  all  conditions,  that  the  committee  would  be  in 
attendance  at  its  offices  for  the  purpose  of  hearing  the  statements 
and  complaints  of  the  various  parties.  This  notice  was  inserted 
in  six  newspapers  printed  in  the  following  languages :  English,  Fin- 
nish and  Austrian. 

NOTICE. 

COPPER   COUNTRY    COMMERCIAL   CLUB    INVESTI- 
GATING  COMMITTEE. 

In  order  to  get  the  fullest  information  in  the  shortest  time 
from  all  parties  interested  in  the  present  strike,  we  have  decided  to 
select  certain  places  convenient  to  all  parties  interested  that  they 
may  appear  before  the  committee. 

Our  first  meeting  place  will  be  on  the  second  floor,  Quello 
Block,  Red  Jacket,  Michigan.  The  office  will  be  open  on  Septem- 
ber 19  from  10  o'clock  a.  m.  till  4  o'clock  p.  m.,  and  thereafter  until 
further  notice. 

EDWARD  ULSETH, 
HENRY  L.  BAER, 
JOHN  W.  BLACK, 

Committee. 

In  addition  to  the  publication  of  this  notice  an  invitation  was 
personally  extended  by  the  committee,  through  one  of  its  mem- 
bers, to  the  Vice-President  of  the  Western  Federation  of  Miners, 
Mr.  C.  E.  Mahoney,  who  has  been  in  Calumet  in  charge  of  the 
strike  since  its  inception,  to  present  by  himself  or  through  any  of 
the  members  of  his  organization,  all  the  facts  and  grievances  and 
demands  upon  which  were  based  the  calling  of  the  strike.  Later 
on  a  second  invitation  was  personally  extended  to  Mr.  Mahoney 


STRIKE  INVESTIGATION  5 

to  furnish  to  the  committee  the  above  data  and  a  statement  of  con- 
ditions in  the  Copper  Country,  which  the  Western  Federation  of 
Miners  was  seeking  to  better.  This  information  has  not  been  fur- 
nished to  the  committee  and  the  particular  reason  for  refusing,  as 
given  by  Mr.  Mahoney,  was  his  objection  to  the  wording  of  the 
resolution  by  which  the  committee  was  appointed. 

The  committee,  during  its  investigation,  visited  the  plants  and 
mine  locations  of  the  various  companies;  the  entire  committee, 
with  its  secretary,  went  underground  in  the  Calumet  &  Hecla 
Mines,  both  the  Amygdaloid  and  Conglomerate  workings,  in  the 
Quincy  Mine  and  in  the  Trimountain  Mine,  one  of  the  mines  of 
the  Copper  Range  Consolidated  Mining  Company.  On  its  trips 
underground  the  committee  inspected  the  various  appliances  used 
by  miners  and  trammers,  made  such  study  of  the  one-man  drill, 
which  was  one  of  the  alleged  grievances,  as  was  possible  within 
the  limited  time,  interviewed  many  men  who  were  at  work  in  the 
various  mines  at  their  working  places,  and  gathered  much  valuable 
data,  which  it  has  tried  to  embody  in  the  following  report. 

In  its  visits  to  the  various  mining  locations  the  committee  has 
interviewed  a  great  many  men  belonging  to  the  various  factions, 
some  of  them  being  members  of  the  Western  Federation  of  Miners, 
some  of  them  being  non-union  men.  The  committee  took  occasion 
to  examine  the  pay  rolls  of  the  various  companies  and  to  check 
over  and  verify  the  wage  statements  and  the  other  data,  which 
are  included  in  this  report,  in  order  that  any  statements  made 
herein  could  be  relied  upon  as  being  absolutely  correct. 

In  all  of  its  proceedings  the  committee  has  tried  to  act  with 
exact  fairness  to  all  parties,  and  in  its  report  to  set  out  the  facts  as 
they  exist  in  the  Copper  Country  of  Michigan  today,  without  color- 
ing the  same  in  the  interest  of  any  of  the  parties. 

SOME  DATA  IN  REGARD  TO  THE  DISTRICT  INVOLVED 

IN  THE  STRIKE. 

Inasmuch  as  the  committee  has  felt  that  its  report  in  this 
matter  would  be  of  interest  and  of  value,  not  only  to  the  contending 
parties  in  the  strike  now  pending  in  the  Copper  Country,  but  to 
the  general  public  of  the  state  as  well,  it  is  thought  wise  to  embody 
a  very  brief  history  of  the  district  in  order  that  a  clearer  com- 
prehension may  be  had  of  the  conditions  now  existing  and  of  the 
atmosphere  of  this  particular  mining  community,  which  is  peculiar 
in  many  respects. 


6  STRIKE  INVESTIGATION 

The  copper  mining  industry  of  Michigan  has  existed  from  an 
early  date.  In  Keweenaw  county  it  has  been  carried  on  since  1844. 
A  great  many  companies  since  that  time  have  operated  in  the  dis- 
trict. Most  of  them  have  made  no  success  and  have  been  a  source 
of  loss  to  those  who  had  invested  their  money  in  the  enterprise. 
Few  of  the  companies  have  paid  dividends  and  at  the  present  time, 
of  all  of  the  mines  that  are  operating,  seven  have  paid  dividends 
regularly  within  recent  years. 

The  copper  deposits  of  the  Keweenaw  Peninsula  lie  in  well 
defined  veins  or  lodes,  dipping  at  different  angles  in  the  various 
mines,  from  35  degrees  from  the  horizontal  at  the  north  end  of  the 
Mohawk  Mine  to  70-72  degrees  from  the  horizontal  in  the  mines  of 
the  Copper  Range  Consolidated  Company.  The  copper  rock  is 
mined  by  means  of  shafts,  some  of  which  are  sunk  on  the  vein,  and 
some  vertically,  and  which  are  of  varying  depths  in  the  different 
mines,  the  deepest  shafts  in  vertical  depth  in  the  district  being 
those  of  the  Tamarack  Mining  Company,  which  have  reached  a  dis- 
tance of  about  5,500  feet.  From  these  shafts,  drifts  or  levels  are 
run,  which  also  vary  in  length  at  the  different  mines  and  in  the 
different  shafts.  On  account  of  the  difference  in  the  conditions  in 
the  different  mines,  it  is,  therefore,  impossible  to  treat  the  ques- 
tions involved  in  the  controversy  in  a  general  way  as  applying  to 
all  of  them,  and  it  will  be  necessary  to  consider  these  questions  in 
some  instances  with  particular  reference  to  the  peculiar  conditions 
of  each  mine. 

Attitude  Toward  Organized  Labor.  During  the  time  that 
mining  operations  have  been  carried  on  in  this  district,  the  industry 
has  been  singularly  free  from  strike  troubles.  The  entire  district 
has  been  carried  on  on  the  open  shop  principle,  as  nearly  as  the 
committee  has  been  able  to  ascertain.  At  no  time  has  any  part  of 
the  district  been  thoroughly  unionized,  and  at  no  time  during  the 
history  of  the  district  has  any  mining  company  treated  directly 
with  any  labor  organization.  At  the  same  time,  men  have  been 
employed  by  the  various  companies  without  discrimination  on 
account  of  union  affiliations.  At  the  present  time  there  are  em- 
ployed by  the  various  mining  companies  on  surface,  machinists, 
molders,  railway  engineers,  brakemen  and  others  who  belong  to 
the  various  unions  or  labor  organizations  of  their  particular  crafts. 
Up  to  the  time  of  the  present  strike  men  were  not  discriminated 
against  because  of  their  membership  in  the  Western  Federation  of 


STRIKE  INVESTIGATION  7 

Miners  or  any.  other  miners'  union,  and  many  men,  undoubtedly, 
were  at  work  in  the  district,  underground,  who  belonged  to  the 
Western  Federation  of  Miners.  Since  the  beginning  of  the  present 
strike,  however,  every  one  of  the  managers  of  the  mining  com- 
panies operating  in  the  district  has  announced  that  hereafter  no 
member  of  the  Western  Federation  will  be  employed,  and  it  may  be 
stated  at  this  point  that  each  of  the  managers  of  the  various  com- 
panies has  also  stated,  both  to  this  committee  and  to  representatives 
of  the  Federal  Department  of  Labor  and  the  Governor  of  the  State, 
that  they  will  under  no  circumstances  recognize  in  any  manner  that 
particular  organization. 

When  requested  by  this  committee  to  give  their  reasons  for 
this  arbitrary  attitude,  the  mining  managers  stated  as  their  reason 
the  record  of  the  Western  Federation,  as  they  understood  it,  in 
other  camps  previous  to  the  trouble  in  this  district.  They  pointed 
out  in  particular  the  record  of  the  Federation  in  the  strike  carried 
on  by  it  in  the  Coeur  d'Alene  district  in  Idaho  in  1894,  the  strike 
carried  on  by  it  in  the  Cripple  Creek  and  other  mining  districts  of 
Colorado  from  1894  to  1904,  and  took  the  stand  that  in  their  refusal 
to  recognize  or  treat  with  the  Federation  they  were  justified  by 
the  fact,  as  stated  by  them,  that  every  labor  dispute  in  which  the 
Western  Federation  had  taken  a  part  was  accompanied  by  blood- 
shed and  violence. 

The  District  Involved  in  This  Strike.  The  district  involved 
in  the  present  strike  extends  from  the  Mohawk  mine,  which  is 
situated  in  Keweenaw  county,  south  for  a  distance  of  approxi- 
mately twenty-eight  miles  to  the  mines  of  the  Copper  Range  Con- 
solidated Company  in  Houghton  county.  The  mining  companies 
involved,  commencing  at  the  north  end  of  the  district  with  the  Mo- 
hawk mine,  are  as  follows : 

The  Mohawk  Mining  Company, 
The  Ahmeek  Mining  Company, 
The  Allouez  Mining  Company, 
all  of  which  are  located  in  Keweenaw  county. 

The  Osceola  Consolidated  Mining  Company,  which  operates 
the  North  Kearsarge  Mine,  the  South  Kearsage  Mine  and  the 
Osceola  Mine, 

The  Wolverine  Copper  Mining  Company, 
The  Centennial  Copper  Mining  Company, 
The  Calumet  &  Hecla  Mining  Company, 


8  STRIKE  INVESTIGATION 

The  Tamarack  Mining  Company, 

The  Laurium  Mining  Company, 

The  La  Salle  Copper  Company, 

The  Oneco  Copper  Company, 

The  Franklin  Mining  Company, 

The  Quincy  Mining  Company, 

The  Hancock  Consolidated  Mining  Company, 

The  Isle  Royale  Copper  Company, 

The  Superior  Copper  Company, 

The  Copper  Range  Consolidated  Company, 

which  controls  the  Baltic  Mining  Company,  the  Trimountain  Min- 
ing Company  and  the  Champion  Copper  Company, 

The  Winona  Copper  Company. 

The  following  table  gives  the  number  of  employees  of  all 
classes,  surface  and  underground,  of  each  company  on  July  22,  1913, 
the  day  before  the  strike: 

The  Mohawk  Mining  Company 851 

The  Ahmeek  Mining  Company 830 

The  Allouez  Mining  Company 308 

The  Osceola  Consolidated  Mining  Company 1,143 

The  Wolverine  Copper  Mining  Company 387 

The  Centennial  Copper  Mining  Company 118 

The  Calumet  &  Hecla  Mining  Company 4,107 

The  Tamarack  Mining  Company 610 

The  Laurium  Mining  Company.  . 25 

The  La  Salle  Copper  Company 43 

The  Oneco  Copper  Company 25 

The  Franklin  Mining  Company 322 

The  Quincy  Mining  Company 1,483 

The  Hancock  Consolidated  Mining  Company 161 

The  Isle  Royale  Copper  Company 709 

The  Superior  Copper  Company 162 

The  Copper  Range  Consolidated  Company 2,716 

The  Winona  Copper  Company 300 


Total 14,300 

The  men  employed  in  the  various  mines  reside  partly  at  the 
mining  locations,  which  are  unincorporated  villages  having  only 
the  township  government,  and  partly  in  the  several  incorporated 


STRIKE  INVESTIGATION  9 

villages  in  the  two  counties,  and  in  the  city  of  Hancock.  The 
accompanying  map  shows  in  detail  the  location  of  the  various 
mines  and  mining  locations,  incorporated  villages  and  the  city  of 
Hancock. 

The  entire  population  of  the  county  of  Keweenaw,  according 
to  the  last  census,  was  7,156;  that  of  Houghton  county  88,098.  The 
district  depends  entirely  upon  the  mining  industry  for  its  existence, 
there  being  no  other  industry  of  importance  carried  on,  and  there- 
fore the  entire  population  of  the  two  counties  above  mentioned 
are  directly  affected  by  the  present  strike. 

The  following  tables  (as  far  as  the  committee  has  been  able  to 
complete  them)  show  in  detail  the  average  copper  contents  per  ton 
of  rock,  of  the  rock  mined  by  the  various  companies  during  the 
year  1912,  the  number  of  pounds  of  refined  copper  produced  in 
1912,  the  amount  of  money  paid  out  in  wages  to  employees,  and  the 
average  cost  per  pound  of  copper  produced : 


A\ 
pe 
I 
Name.                                     r< 
Mohawk  Mining  Company.. 
Ahmeek  Mining  Co  
Allouez   Mining   Co       

1912. 
rerage  cop' 
r  contents 
>er  ton  of 
uck  mined. 
13.81  Ibs. 
25.229  Ibs. 
16.56  Ibs. 

12.8    Ibs. 
12.8     Ibs. 
18.2    Ibs. 

21.86  Ibs. 
16.36  Ibs. 
24.18  Ibs. 
18.76  Ibs. 

9.8    Ibs. 

15.73  Ibs. 
15.43  Ibs. 
22.76  Ibs. 

20.50  Ibs. 
19.04  Ibs. 
22.50  Ibs. 
12.73  Ibs. 

1912.                1912.            1 
Cc 
Pounds  of        Amount   proc 
refined  copper       paid         per 
produced.        in  wages,     of  < 
11,995,598    $     765,820.06    ^ 
16,455,769           543,817.37    J 
5,525,455           163,615.68    5 

1,479,642           135,097.27 
8,611,720           468,226.13 
8,322,025           255,585.54 
142,659.68 
9,120,485           378,875.75    $ 
1,742,338            60,591.70    i 
67,856,429        3,983,013.05    i 
7,908,745           633,842.19    i 
3,614.71 
27,183.49 
1,710,651           219,724.95 
21,501.76 
141,123.34 
20,634,800        1,436,781.90    $ 
8,186,957           555,205.55    $ 
3,921,974           164.220.57    < 
2,208,537.62 
13,373,961 
6,980,713 
17,225,508 
2,307,237           297,371.03 

912. 
>stof 
luction 
pound 
:opper. 

5.1061 

5.0785 
M352 

5.1036 

5.08665 
5.1346 
5.0986 
5.1315 
B 
B 

B 

B 
5.1148 
.1189 
1.1275 

Osceola  Consolidated  Mining 
Company  

Osceola    Mine    

North    Kearsarge    Mine.. 
South  Kearsarge  Mine... 
Stamp  Mill    

Wolverine  Copper  Mng.  Co 
Centennial  Copper  Mng.  Co 
Calumet  &  Hecla  Mng.  Co, 
Tamarack  Alining  Co       .  .  .  . 

La  Salle  Copper  Co     

Laurium   Mining   Co     

Franklin   Mining   Co         .  .  .  . 

Oneco  Copper  Mining  Co.  .  . 
Hancock  Consol.  Mng.  Co.. 
Quincy  Mining  Co  

Isle  Royale  Copper  Co  

Superior   Copper   Co  

Copper  Range  Cons.  Co.... 
Baltic  Mining  Co  

Trimountain    Mining    Co.. 
Champion  Copper  Co 

^Vinona  Copper  Co 

Totals    , 

213,360,007 

12,606,409.34 

B — No   copper  production   during   1912.     Exploratory  and   development 
work  only. 


10  STRIKE  INVESTIGATION 

The  average  copper  contents  for  the  district  per  ton  of  rock  mined 
is  19.33  Ibs. 

The  average  copper  contents  for  the  Butte  district  per  ton  of  rock  mined 
is  61.75  Ibs. 

The  average  copper  contents  for  the  Bisbee  district  per  ton  of  rock  mined 
is  74.5  Ibs. 


The  average  price  of  copper  per  pound,  over  a  period  of  20 
years,  from  1891  to  1910,  as  given  by  Stevens  Copper  Handbook, 
is  $0.13768  per  pound. 

Of  the  above  mining  companies  in  the  district,  seven  paid  divi- 
dends during  the  year  1912,  namely :  Mohawk  Mining  Company, 
Ahmeek  Mining  Company,  Wolverine  Copper  Mining  Company, 
Calumet  &  Hecla  Mining  Company,  Osceola  Consolidated  Mining 
Company,  Quincy  Mining  Company  and  Copper  Range  Consoli- 
dated Mining  Company.  The  Isle  Royale  Copper  Company  in 
1913  paid  one  dividend  of  one  dollar  per  share,  being  the  first  divi- 
dend since  its  operation,  which  commenced  previous  to  1860. 

Dividends  and  Assessments  of  Lake  Superior  Mines.  In  view 
of  the  claim  that  has  been  made  that  the  Lake  Superior  Copper 
District  is  the  richest  in  the  world,  the  following  table,  taken  from 
Stevens'  Copper  Handbook,  will  be  of  interest.  The  table  lists 
something  over  seventy  mining  companies  that  have  operated  in 
the  Lake  Superior  Copper  District  from  1849  to  1910-  Of  the  entire 
list  only  fourteen  mines  have  paid  back  the  money  invested.  If 
the  Calumet  &  Hecla  Mining  Company  is  taken  from  the  list  the 
table  will  show  that,  in  all  those  years,  the  copper  industry  has 
just  about  paid  back  the  money  invested  in  it: 


1849-1910 
Company.  Assessments.  Dividends. 

Adventure  Cons $2,450,000     $ 

Ahmeek 850,000 

Albany  &  Boston 840,000 

Allouez    2,225,000 

Atlantic 1,180,000  990,000 

Arcadian  1,800,000 

Arnold 810,000 

Ashbed    40,000 

Aztec 150,000 

Baltic  .  1,800,000          6,550,000 

Belt    1,300,000 

Bohemian   180,000 

Caledonia   140,000 

Calumet   &  Hecla 1,200,000       112,500,000 

Centennial  (Old) 1,135,000 

Centennial  (New)   1,755,000 

Central 100,000          2,130,000 

Champion „ 2,500,000         6,600,000 


Dr.  Balance.  Cr.  Balance 

$  2,450,000    $ 

850,000 

840,000 

2,225,000 

190,000 

1,800,000 

810,000 

40,000 

150,000 


1,300,000 
180,000 
140,000 

1,135,000 
1,755,000 


4,750,000 


111,300,000 


2,030,000 
4,100,000 


STRIKE  INVESTIGATION 


11 


1849-1910 

Company.                             Assessments  Dividends     Dr.  Balance.    Cr.  Balance 

Cliff  (Old) $      111,000  $   2,518,620  $  $2,407,620 

Conglomerate 1,300,000  1,300,000 

Copper  Falls   .               ....  1,000,000  100,000           900,000 

Copper  Range  Cons 2,300,000  10,756,526                                  8,456,526 

Delaware    2,000,000  2,000,000 

Elm  River   1,200,000  1,200,000 

Evergreen  Bluff  225,000  225,000 

Flint  Steel   264,000  264,000 

Forrest    ,                       180,000  180,000 

Franklin    .                   1,020,000  1,240,000                                     220,000 

Hancock   1,800,000  1,800,000 

Humbolt  120,000  120,000 

Huron    240,000  240,000 

Indiana  (Old)   200,000  200,000 

Isle  Royale    2,750,000  2,750,000 

Kearsarge 180,000  160,000             20,000 

Keweenaw    2,800,000  2,800,000 

King  Philip   800,000  800,000 

Lake 300,000  300,000 

La  Salle    1,000,000  1,000,000 

Mass.   Cons    2,100,000  2,100,000 

Mayflower    800,000  800,000 

Michigan    2,000,000  2,000,000 

Miners  2,000,000  2,000,000 

Minnesota    456,000  1,820,000                                  1,364,000 

Mohawk    1,800.000  2,150,000                                   350,000 

National    350,000  320,000             30,000 

New  Arcadian    75,000  75,000 

Nonesuch    400,000  400,000 

Northwest    283,000  283,000 

Norwich    230,000  230,000 

Ohio  Trap  Rock 150,000  150,000 

Ojibway    1,008,000  1,008,000 

Old  Colony   1,100,000  1,100,000 

Osceola  1,700,000  9,343,250                                7,643,250 

Pennsylvania 126,000  126,000 

Peninsula    400,000  400,000 

Pewabic    585,200  1,000,000                                   414,800 

Phoenix  (Old)    1,037,500  20,000         1,017,500 

Phoenix  Cons 1,350,000  1,350,000 

Quincy    200,000  19,302,500                               19,102,500 

Ridge  470,000  100,000           370,000 

Rhode  Island    1,000,000  1,000,000 

Superior    100,000  100,000 

Tamarack. 780,000  9,420,000                                  8,640,000 

Tamarack  Junior   640,000  640,000 

Tecumseh  500,000  500,000 

Trimountain    2,000,000  800,000         1,200,000 

Toltec    500,000  500,000 

Victoria 1,200,000  1,200,000 

Winona 2,200,000  2,200,000 

Wolverine    780,000  6,300,000                                  5,520,000 

Wyandot    1,000,000  1,000,000 

Miscellaneous 10,000,000  10,000,000 


Totals $79,565,700    $194,120,896    $61,843,500    $176,298,696 


12  STRIKE  INVESTIGATION 

Blacklists.  The  committee  has  investigated,  as  thoroughly 
as  was  possible,  the  question  as  to  whether  or  not  the  mining  com- 
panies in  the  Michigan  district  or  the  mine  operators  had  formed 
any  combination  or  had  acted  with  any  concerted  plan  previous  to 
the  present  strike,  and  from  such  investigation  the  committee  is 
convinced  that,  previous  to  the  present  strike,  there  has  been  no 
concerted  action  or  combination  among  the  mine  managers  or  oper- 
ators at  any  time  until  after  the  strike  had  commenced.  Since  the 
strike  has  been  in  progress  the  committee  finds  that  the  mine  opera- 
tors have  adopted  a  uniform  policy  in  regard  to  the  recognition  of 
the  Western  Federation  of  Miners,  and  the  re-employment  of  mem- 
bers of  that  organization. 

The  committee  has  also  investigated  thoroughly  the  question  as 
to  whether  or  not  there  existed  in  the  Copper  District  of  Michigan 
a  "blacklist"  of  any  kind,  and  whether  discharge  from  one  company 
would  affect  the  possibility  of  obtaining  re-employment  with  some 
other  company.  On  this  point  the  committee  finds  that,  beyond 
any  question,  there  has  never  existed,  in  recent  years  at  least,  any 
agreement  of  any  kind  between  trie  various  companies,  nor  has 
there  existed  any  blacklist  of  employees.  The  committee  has  found, 
as  a  matter  of  fact,  that,  employees  discharged  by  one  company 
have  found  ready  employment  with  the  other  companies,  and  in 
one  instance  found  that  an  employee  discharged  by  a  mining  captain 
in  one  shaft  of  a  mine,  within  a  few  days  was  re-employed  by  a 
captain  of  another  shaft  of  the  same  mine. 

Living  Conditions  in  the  Michigan  Copper  District.  Inasmuch 
as  the  present  strike  has  brought  about  a  discussion  of  living  con- 
ditions in  the  Michigan  Copper  District,  and  various  reports,  some 
of  which  have  been  grossly  exaggerated,  have  been  published,  the 
committee  deems  it  essential  to  the  completeness  of  its  report  that  it 
present  some  of  the  facts  as  to  the  living  conditions  in  Houghton 
and  Keweenaw  counties.  A  number  of  the  statements  hereinafter 
made  are  statements  of  facts  known  to  the  members  of  the  com- 
mittee from  their  own  residence  in  the  district,  while,  in  order  to 
obtain  other  facts,  it  was  necessary  to  make  a  thorough  investiga- 
tion, both  from  the  standpoint  of  the  mine  operators  and  the  mine 
workers.  The  illustrations  included  in  this  report  of  miners'  dwell- 
ing houses  are  pictures  of  typical  houses,  as  far  as  the  committee 
was  able  to  obtain  them. 

Housing.     In  the  Michigan  Copper  District,  as  in  most  other 


STRIKE  INVESTIGATION  13 

mining  camps,  whenever  a  company  begins  to  operate,  one  of  the 
problems  that  presents  itself  is  the  housing  of  its  men,  in  most 
cases  the  mine  location  being  situated  some  distance  away  from 
any  village  or  city.  It  has  been  the  policy  of  the  mining  companies 
operating  in  the  Michigan  Copper  District  to  build  whatever  houses 
were  necessary  upon  their  own  land  and  to  lease  or  rent  the  houses 
to  their  employees.  In  no  case  is  an  employee  compelled  to  live  in 
a  company  house, — on  the  contrary,  because  of  the  very  moderate 
rents  that  are  charged  in  the  Copper  Country,  company  houses  are 
in  such  great  demand  that  the  mining  companies  have  a  great  many 
applications  for  each  house.  On  account  of  the  severity  of  the  win- 
ters in  the  Lake  Superior  District,  dwelling  houses  are  built  sub- 
stantially and  with  a  view  toward  comfort  in  extremely  cold 
weather.  The  type  of  houses,  the  rent  charged,  and  the  accommo- 
dations afforded  to  the  tenants  are  about  the  same  in  all  the  mining 
locations.  In  the  early  days  of  the  mining  industry  many  of  the 
houses  built  were  log  houses,  a  few  of  which  may  still  be  seen  in 
the  various  mining  locations.  Of  late  years  the  log  houses  have 
gradually  disappeared  and  have  been  replaced  by  frame  dwelling 
houses,  similar  to  those  in  the  illustrations.  In  some  instances, 
where  the  company  has  not  a  sufficient  number  of  houses  to  accom- 
modate all  of  its  employees  and  in  some  instances  where  employees 
have  desired  to  own  their  own  homes,  the  companies  have  rented 
lots  to  employees  who  have  built  their  own  houses  thereon. 

The  following  is  a  table  showing  the  number  of  houses  owned 
by  employees  paying  ground  rent  to  the  company,  the  usual  size  of 
the  lots  and  the  annual  ground  rent  for  the  various  companies. 

No.  of     Houses  Size  of             Rent  Per 

Name.                                                              Owned.  Lots.  Year. 

Mohawk  Mining  Company 120  100x125  $6.00 

Ahmeek  Mining  Company None 

Allouez  Mining  Company 15  75x100  5.00 

Osceola  Cons.  Mining  Company 81  50x100  5.00 

Wolverine  Copper  Mining  Co 64  100x100  6.00  to  10. 

Centennial  Copper  Mining  Co 27  75x150  5.00 

Calumet  &  Hecla  Mining  Co About    1000  60x120  5.00 

Tamarack   Mining   Company 30  5300  sq.  ft.  5.00 

LaSalle    Copper    Company None 

Laurium  Mining  Company None 

Franklin  Mining  Company 30  50x125  5.00 

Oneco  Copper  Mining  Company None 

Quincy  Mining  Company 202  50x100  and  up     5.00 

Hancock  Cons.  Mining  Co 2  50x100  5.00 

Isle   Royale    Copper   Company None 

The  Superior  Copper  Company None 

Copper  Range  Consolidated  Co 144  50x100  5.00 

75x100  6.00 

Wmona  Copper  Company 36  50x100  1.00 


14  STRIKE  INVESTIGATION 

Rents.  The  following  is  some  data  with  reference  to  each  com- 
pany as  to  the  houses  rented,  the  size,  the  rents  charged,  and  the 
improvements  and  accommodations  to  tenants. 

The  Mohawk  Mining  Company  rents  53  single  frame  houses, 
with  5  and  6  rooms  and  a  barn,  for  $5.50  per  month.  It  rents  63 
double  frame  houses  with  ten  rooms  and  a  barn  for  $5.50  for  each 
side  of  the  house.  Water  is  supplied  to  the  location  by  wells. 

The  Ahmeek  Mining  Company  has 


7 — 4  room  frame  dwelling  houses  at 
2 — 4  room  frame  dwelling  houses  at  i 

20 — 5  room  frame  dwelling  houses  at  J 
1 — 7  room  frame  dwelling  house     at 

28 — 7  room  frame  dwelling  houses  at  I 


>4.00  per  month. 
3.50  per  month. 
5.00  per  month. 
>4.00  per  month. 
>6.00  per  month. 


Each  house  has  a  12  by  12  barn.  There  is  no  water  system  under 
pressure  but  most  of  the  families  have  piped  water  from  wells  to 
force  pumps  in  their  kitchens.  The  company  charges  five  cents 
per  kilowatt  per  hour  for  electric  light,  and  the  rent  includes  the 
removal  of  garbage  whenever  necessary.  The  company  has  supplied 
its  employees  with  fuel,  when  requested,  at  the  following  prices : 
Pittsburg  soft  coal  in  lump,  delivered  to  house,  five  dollars  per  ton  ; 
four  foot  hard  wood,  delivered  to  house,  five  dollars  per  cord.  All 
houses  are  kept  in  repair  by  the  company. 

The  Allouez  Mining  Company  owns  17  log  houses  for  which 
charges  are  made  as  follows : 

4 — 5  room  log  houses  at  $2.00  per  month. 

10 — 5  room  log  houses  at  $2.50  per  month. 

3 — 6  room  log  houses  at  $4.00  per  month. 

This  company  has  66  frame  houses  which  it  rents  at  the  follow- 
ing rates: 


room  frame  dwelling  houses  at  $4.00  per  month. 

8 — 4  room  frame  dwelling  houses  at  $5.00  per  month. 

2 — 5  room  frame  dwelling  houses  at  $4.00  per  month. 
18 — 5  room  frame  dwelling  houses  at  $5.00  per  month. 

2 — 5  room  frame  dwelling  houses  at  $6.00  per  month. 

2 — 6  room  frame  dwelling  houses  at  $5.00  per  month. 

2 — 6  room  frame  dwelling  houses  at  $6.00  per  month. 

2 — 7  room  frame  dwelling  houses  at  $7.00  per  month. 
26 — 7  room  frame  dwelling  houses  at  $7.50  per  month. 

The  rent  includes  the  weekly  removal  of  garbage  and  the  repair  of 
the  house.  Water  is  supplied  from  wells  and  the  company  has  sup- 
plied its  emplo/ •-  is  with  soft  coal,  when  requested,  at  $5.25  per  ton, 
delivered 


STRIKE  INVESTIGATION  15 

The  Osceola  Consolidated  Mining  Company  owns  79  log  houses 
for  which  it  charges  rent  as  follows : 

1 —  4  room  log  dwelling  house    at  $3.00  per  month. 

61 —  5  room  log  dwelling  houses  at  $3.00  to  $4.00  per  month. 

12 —  6  room  log  dwelling  houses  at  $4.00  per  month. 

3 —  8  room  log  dwelling  houses  at  $5.00  per  month. 

2 — 10  room  log  dwelling  houses  at  $6.00  per  month. 

This  company  owns  267  frame  houses  which  it  rents  as  follows: 

3 — 3  room  frame  dwelling  houses  at  $3.00  per  month. 

29 — 4  room  frame  dwelling  houses  at  $4.00  per  month. 

129 — 5  room  frame  dwelling  houses  at  $4.00  to  $5.00  per  month. 

65 — 6  room  frame  dwelling  houses  at  $5.00  per  month. 

41 — 7  room  frame  dwelling  houses  at  $6.00  per  month. 

Sixty-five  of  the  above  houses  are  supplied  with  Lake  Superior 
water  from  the  Calumet  Water  System,  for  which  a  charge  of  fifty 
cents  per  month  is  made.  The  other  houses  are  supplied  from  wells. 
The  rent  includes  removal  of  garbage,  whenever  necessary,  and  the 
repair  of  the  house.  The  company  sells  to  its  employees,  when 
requested,  scrap  wood  at  two  dollars  per  wagon  load,  delivered,  and 
steam  coal  at  five  dollars  per  ton,  delivered.  Wherever  electric  light 
is  used  the  charge  is  ten  cents  per  kilowatt  per  hour. 

The  Wolverine  Copper  Mining  Company.  This  company  has 
one  log  house  of  three  rooms  which  it  rents  at  $3.00  per  month. 
This  company  has  65  frame  houses,  from  3  rooms  up  to  7  rooms  in 
each  house,  which  it  rents  from  $3.50  per  month  for  the  3-room 
house  up  to  $7.00  per  month  for  the  7-room  house,  or  an  average  of 
one  dollar  per  room  per  month.  Water  is  supplied  from  wells,  and 
the  rent  includes  the  removal  of  garbage  and  the  general  repair  of 
the  house.  This  company  supplies  its  employees,  when  requested, 
with  fuel  at  the  following  rates :  hard  wood  at  six  dollars  per  cord, 
soft  coal  at  five  dollars  per  ton. 

The  Centennial  Copper  Mining  Company  owns  4  4-room  log 
houses  which  it  rents  at  $2.50  per  month  and  one  5-room  log  house 
which  it  rents  at  $5.00  per  month.  It  owns  44  frame  houses  which 
it  rents  to  employees  at  an  average  rent  of  one  dollar  per  room,  per 
month.  Water  is  supplied  from  wells  and  the  company  has  sup- 
plied employees,  when  requested,  with  soft  coal  at  five  dollars  per 
ton. 

The  Calumet  &  Hecla  Mining  Company.  This  company  owns 
40  log  houses  of  4  and  5  rooms  each,  which  it  rents  at  from  fifty 
cents  to  $3.00  per  month.  The  company  owns  764  frame  houses  for 


16  STRIKE  INVESTIGATION 

which  it  charges  an  average  rent  of  $6.74  per  month.  None  of  the 
houses  have  less  than  4  rooms ;  425  of  the  houses  have  stone  founda- 
tions and  cement  floors  in  the  basements.  Lake  Superior  water  is 
piped  to  each  house  by  the  Calumet  &  Hecla  water  system,  for 
which  there  is  no  charge,  and  the  rent  includes  the  removal  of  gar- 
bage, and  the  entire  repair  of  the  house.  This  company  sells  no 
fuel  to  its  employees  except  in  charity  cases,  when  it  is  free.  The 
employees  who  own  their  own  houses,  located  on  lots  rented  from 
the  company,  pay  five  dollars  per  year,  rental,  for  the  lot,  which 
includes  water,  taxes  and  garbage  removal. 

The  Tamarack  Mining  Company.  This  company  owns  78  log 
houses  and  327  frame  houses  for  which  it  charges  a  rental  of  one 
dollar  per  room  per  month.  Most  of  its  houses  are  supplied  with 
Lake  Superior  water  for  which  a  charge  is  made  of  fifty  cents  per 
family,  per  month.  Rent  includes  removal  of  garbage,  and  wherever 
electric  light  is  furnished,  a  charge  of  six  cents  per  kilowatt  hour  is 
made.  This  company  does  not  supply  its  employees  with  fuel, 

The  La  Salle  Copper  Company  owns  4  log  houses  for  which  it 
charges  $3.00  per  month  for  a  5-room  house,  and  6  frame  houses  for 
which  it  charges  as  follows : 

1 — g  room  frame  dwelling  house  at  $5.00  per  month. 
2 — 4  room  frame  dwelling  houses  at  $3.00  per  month. 
3 — 6  room  frame  dwelling  houses  at  $6.00  per  month. 

Water  is  supplied  from  wells  and  the  company  keeps  the  houses  in 
repair.  The  company  has  furnished  to  employees,  when  requested, 
coal  at  five  dollars  per  ton,  delivered. 

The  Laurium  Mining  Company.  This  company  owns  no  dwell- 
ing houses. 

The  Franklin  Mining  Company.  This  company  owns  13  log 
houses  for  which  no  rent  is  charged.  It  owns  frame  houses  for 
which  it  charges  as  follows: 


2 — 3  room  frame  dwelling  houses  at  J 
12 — 4  room  frame  dwelling  houses  at  i 
13 — 5  room  frame  dwelling  houses  at  5 

2 — 6  room  frame  dwelling  houses  at  i 
19 — 6  room  frame  dwelling  houses  at  J 

2 — 8  room  frame  dwelling  houses  at  5 


53.00  per  month. 

53.00  per  month. 

54.00  oer  month. 

54.00  per  month. 

55.00  per  month. 

55.00  per  month. 


Rent  includes  removal  of  garbage  and  the  general  repair  of  the 
house.  This  company  has  supplied  its  workmen,  whenever  re- 
quested, with  soft  coal  at  $4.50  per  ton. 


STRIKE  INVESTIGATION  17 

The  Oneco  Copper  Mining  Company.  This  company  has  8 
frame  houses  which  it  rents  as  follows : 

7 — 5  room  frame  dwelling  houses  at  $4.00  per  month. 
1 — 8  room  frame  dwelling  house     at  $5.00  per  month. 

Water  is  supplied  from  wells  and  rent  includes  the  removal  of  gar- 
bage, when  required.  Fuel  is  supplied  to  employees  at  cost  to  the 
company. 

The  Quincy  Mining  Company.  This  company  owns  25  log 
houses  which  it  rents  at  $1.00  to  $2.00  per  month.  It  owns  443 
frame  houses  with  4  to  10  rooms.  The  latest  constructed  houses 
rent  at  $1.00  per  room  per  month.  The  average  of  all  houses  is  8oc 
per  room  per  month. 

The  Hancock  Consolidated  Mining  Company.  This  company 
owns  no  houses.  This  company  is  located  within  the  city  of  Han- 
cock, where  most  of  its  employees  live.  The  city  has  an  adequate 
water  system  and  the  company  has  supplied  to  its  employees,  when 
requested,  fuel  at  cost  to  the  company. 

The  Isle  Royale  Copper  Company.  This  company  owns  n  4- 
room  log  houses  which  it  rents  at  three  dollars  per  month.  It  owns 
109  frame  houses  which  it  rents  at  an  average  of  one  dollar  per 
room,  per  month.  Water  is  supplied  from  wells  and  the  rent  in- 
cludes removal  of  garbage  and  the  general  repair  of  the  house.  This 
company  has  supplied  soft  coal  to  its  employees,  when  requested, 
at  five  dollars  per  ton,  delivered. 

The  Superior  Copper  Company.  This  company  owns  no  log 
houses.  It  owns  16  frame  houses  which  it  rents  as  follows : 

2 — 5  room  frame  dwelling  houses  at  $6.00  per  month. 

2 — 6  room  frame  dwelling  houses  at  $5.00  per  month. 

12 — 7  room  frame  dwelling  houses  at  $6.00  per  month. 

All  repairs  are  made  at  the  expense  of  the  company  and  the  water 
supply  is  from  wells.  The  company  has  supplied  soft  coal  to  its 
employees,  when  requested,  at  $4.50  per  ton. 

The  Copper  Range  Consolidated  Company.  This  company 
owns  no  log  houses.  It  owns  607  frame  houses,  which  it  rents  as 
follows : 

1.50  to    $2.00  per  month. 
2.00  per  month. 


2  room  frame  dwelling  houses  at    5 
14 — 3  room  frame  dwelling  houses  at 


101 — 4  room  frame  dwelling  houses  at    $2.25  to    $4.00  per  month. 

182 — 5  room  frame  dwelling  houses  at    $3.50  per  month. 

112 — 6  room  frame  dwelling  houses  at    $5.00  to    $7.00  per  month. 


COMPANY  HOUSES  RENTED  TO  EMPLOYEES,     KEARSARGE  MINE. 


LOG  HOUSES  RENTED  TO  EMPLOYEES,  AHMEEK  MINE. 


COMPANY  HOUSES  RENTED  TO  EMPLOYEES,  AHMEEK  MINE. 


COMPANY  HOUSES  RENTED  TO  EMPLOYEES,  OSCEOLA  MINE. 


COMPANY  HOUSES  RENTED  TO  EMPLOYEES,    OSCEOLA  MINE. 


COMPANY  HOUSES  RENTED  TO  EMPLOYEES,  CALUMET  &  HECLA  MINE, 


COMPANY  HOUSES  RENTED  TO  EMPLOYEES,  CALUMET  &  HECLA  MINE. 


COMPANY  HOUSES  RENTED  TO  EMPLOYEES,  CALUMET  &  HECLA  MINE. 


COMPANY  HOUSES  RENTED  TO  EMPLOYEES,  CALUMET  &  HECLA  MINE. 


LOG  HOUSES,  CALUMET  &  HECLA  MINE. 


COMPANY  HOUSES  RENTED  TO  EMPLOYEES,  CALUMET  &  HECLA  MINE. 


COMPANY  HOUSES  RENTED  TO  EMPLOYEES,  CALUMET  &  HECLA  MINE. 


COMPANY  HOUSES  RENTED  TO  EMPLOYEES,    AHMEEK  MINE. 


, 


I 


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fll 


COMPANY  HOUSES  RENTED  TO  EMPLOYEES,  SOUTH  KEARSARGE  MINE. 


COMPANY  HOUSES  RENTED  TO  EMPLOYEES,  ALLOUEZ  MINE. 


COMPANY  HOUSES  RENTED  TO  EMPLOYEES,  OSCEOLA  MINE. 


COMPANY  HOUSES  RENTED  TO  EMPLOYEES,  COPPER  RANGE 
CONSOLIDATED  MINE. 


COMPANY  HOUSES  RENTED  TO  EMPLOYEES,  COPPER  RANGE 
CONSOLIDATED  MINE. 


STRIKE  INVESTIGATION  29 

93 — 7  room  frame  dwelling  houses  at    $4.00  to    $6.00  per  month. 
89 — 8  room  frame  dwelling  houses  at    $4.00  to  $12.00  per  month. 

1 — 9  room  frame  dwelling  house    at  $12.00  per  month. 
5 — 10  room  frame  dwelling  houses  at    $6.00  to  $10.00  per  month. 
1 — 11  room  frame  dwelling  house    at    $6.00  per  month. 
5 — 12  room  frame  dwelling  houses  at  $15.00  per  month. 

All  houses  are  supplied  with  water  faucets  for  which  no  charge  is 
made.  Rent  also  includes  the  removal  of  garbage  and  the  general 
repair  of  the  house.  Where  electric  light  is  used  a  charge  of  twelve 
cents  per  kilowatt  hour  is  made.  This  company  has  supplied  to  its 
employees,  when  requested,  wood  at  four  dollars  per  cord  and  soft 
coal  at  $4.50  per  ton. 

The  Winona  Copper  Company.  This  company  has  five  log 
houses  of  three  rooms  each,  which  it  rents  at  $2.00  per  month.  It 
owns  115  frame  houses  which  it  rents  as  follows: 

38 — 3  room  frame  dwelling  houses  at  an  average    $3.30  per  month. 

9 — 4  room  frame  dwelling  houses  at  an  average  $3.90  per  month. 
11 — 5  room  frame  dwelling  houses  at  an  average  $4.00  per  month. 
45 — 6  room  frame  dwelling  houses  at  an  average  $5.95  per  month. 

9 — 7  room  frame  dwelling  houses  at  an  average    $7.45  per  month. 

3 — 8  room  frame  dwelling  houses  at  an  average  $15.00  per  month. 

Water  is  piped  to  most  of  the  houses  for  which  a  charge  of  fifty 
cents  per  month  is  made.  Electricity  is  supplied  on  a  sliding  scale 
of  ten  cents  to  seven  cents  per  kilowatt  hour.  Rent  includes  re- 
moval of  garbage,  whenever  necessary,  and  the  general  repair  of 
the  house.  This  company  has  supplied  to  its  employees,  when 
requested,  four  foot  hardwood  at  $4.50  per  cord. 

Company  Boarding  Houses.  None  of  the  companies  operate 
boarding  houses. 

Company  Stores.  With  the  exception  of  one  of  the  smaller 
companies,  none  of  the  companies  operate  stores. 

The  Question  of  Evictions.  During  the  first  month  or  six 
weeks  of  the  strike  no  attempt  was  made  by  any  of  the  companies 
to  evict  any  of  the  tenants  residing  in  company  houses.  The  first 
move  in  this  direction  was  made  by  one  of  the  companies  when  it 
became  apparent  that  the  strike  was  going  to  last  for  a  considerable 
time  and  when  the  houses  were  necessary  for  the  men  who  were 
working  or  desired  to  go  to  work.  At  some  of  the  locations  men 
came  to  the  companies  who  said  they  were  willing  to  go  to  work 
if  they  could  be  located  within  the  company  lines  where  they  would 
not  be  subject  to  interference  or  danger,  and  in  order  to  provide 


30 


STRIKE  INVESTIGATION 


places  for  such  men,  some  of  the  striking  occupants  of  company 
houses  were  notified  that  they  would  have  to  vacate.  At  the  date 
of  this  report  no  attempt  has  been  made  to  evict  with  the  exception 
of  three  or  four  companies  who  have  taken  this  step  for  the  reasons 
above  stated.  At  the  present  time  no  workman  has  actually  been 
evicted. 

Comparative  Table  of  Rents  Charged  in  the  Michigan  and  Butte, 

Montana,  Districts. 


Type  of  House. 


Butte. 

On  the  flat,  one  to 
two  miles  from 
city. 


In  the  city. 


Michigan. 


Four  rooms  with 
small  or  no  cellars. 
These  are  almost 
the  sole  type  of 
houses  available 
for  families  of 
miners. 

Six  room  houses. 


$15.00  to  $20.00 
Includes    water. 


The  few  that  exist 
are  occupied  by 
bosses,  $28.00. 


$17.00   to 
$24.00 
Includes 
water. 

$30.00  and 
higher. 


$3.00  for  single 
houses  with  cel- 
lars. 

$2.50  for  4  room 
double  houses 
with  cellars.  Wa- 
ter included. 

$5.00  with  cellars 
includes  water. 

Food  Costs.  Under  the  heading  of  living  conditions  in  the 
Michigan  Copper  District  and  of  value  when  considering  the  wages 
paid  in  the  Michigan  Copper  District,  will  be  the  following  table 
giving  the  prices  of  various  food  stuffs  and  staple  articles.  Inasmuch 
as  the  scale  of  wages  that  is  demanded  by  the  Western  Federation  of 
Miners  is  the  scale  which  is  in  vogue  in  the  Butte  District,  Mon- 
tana, a  comparison  of  prices  between  the  Michigan  District  and  the 
Butte  District  is  given. 


Meats. 


Articles. 
Steak,  round 
Steak,    sirloin 
Steak,  portt 
Pork  chops 
Veal  steak,  leg 
Lamb  steak 
Roast    beef 
Legs  lamb 
Hamburger 
Pork  sausage 
Mutton    chops 
llib  riast  beef 


Mich.  Price 
Mich.  Price. 
22c 

Butte  Price 
Butte  Price. 
28c 

Butte  Price 
Per  Cent.  Excess. 
27 

i                                24c 

30c 

25 

house    ....             25c 
22c 

30c 
25c 

20 
13  J4 

>g  30c 

35c 

162/3 

25c 

35c 

40 

24c 

28c 

162A 

25c 

25c 

0 

iteak    20c 
:    18c 
,s    20c 

25c 
25c 
25  c 

25 
38J 
25 

ef..                         22c 

28c 

27 

STRIKE  INVESTIGATION 


31 


Groceries.     Actual  prices  of  Michigan  Copper  District,  com- 
pared with  Butte,  Montana,  as  of  late  summer  and  fall  of  1913 : 


Articles.  Mich.  Price. 

Flour,   100  lbs..best $3.00 

60  Ibs.  potatoes   (1  bu.) 75 

Eggs,  per  dozen .28 

100  Ib.  sack  gran,  sugar 5.40 

Kerosene  oil,  per  gal .15 

Lard,  5  Ibs.  (Silver  Leaf) 75 

Karo  syrup,  5  Ibs 25 

Baked  beans,  best 10 

Navy  beans,  per  Ib 06 

Red  Kidney  beans,  Ib 06 

Premium  butter,  per  Ib 41 

Barley   (Pearl)    05 

Bran,  100  Ibs 1.40 

Codfish,  per  Ib 10 

Cottolene,  4  Ib.  tin 60 

Salmon,  1  Ib.  can .15 

American  cheese,  per  Ib .22 

Molasses,  per  gal .45 

English  Breakfast  Tea,  per  Ib.         .50 

1    bu.   beets 1.00 

Cabbage,    100   Ibs 2.75 

Standard  Cereals,  per  pkg. ...         .10 

Rolled  Oats,  5  Ib.  pkg 25 

Tomatoes,  24  cans 2.35 

Standard  canned  fruits .20 

Dry  raisins,  per  Ib .10 

Prunes,   per    Ib 10 

Currents,    per    Ib 

Dates,  per  2  Ibs 25 

Bananas,  per  dozen 25 

Apples,    1    bu 2.00 

Chocolate,   Baker's,  per  Ib 40 

Pepper,    16   czs 30 

Bluing,    1    qt.   bottle 10 


Butte  Price 
Butte  Price.    Per  Cent.  Excess. 


$3.75 

1.05 

.40 

6.80 

.30 

.90 

.35 


•08^ 
•08^ 
.45 

.08^ 
1.50 


.70 

.20 

.26 

.65 

.60 

2.00 

3.25 


25 
40 
43 
26 
100 
20 
40 
25 
39 
39 

93/4 
66.67 

7.14 
25 


.35 

2.75 
.25 


.35 
.35 
3.25 
.50 
.40 
.15 


18.18 
44.44 
20 
100 
18 
25 
40 
17 
25 
25 
25 
20 
40 
40 

if* 


Average  Excess 34.82 

Note. — In  Michigan  a  discount  of  2  to  3  per  cent,  on  the  prices  listed 
above  is  given  when  bill  is  paid.  The  Butte  prices  are  taken  from  a  store 
that  gives  no  such  discount. 

Fuel. 

Butte  Price.          Mich.  Price. 
Articles  Per  Ton.  Per  Ton. 

Hard   coal $16.00  $8.00to$8.50 

Soft    coal 7.00  to  7.50  4.50  to  5.00 

From  the  above  tables  it  would  appear  that  on  a  grocery  and 

meat  bill  of  thirty-five  dollars,  which  is  fairly  approximate  for  an 
average  miner's  bill,  there  is  a  saving  in  Michigan  of  twenty-five 
per  cent  over  the  Butte  prices ;  in  other  wrords,  the  same  articles  in 
Butte  would  cost  $8.75  more. 


32  .STRIKE  INVESTIGATION 

The  excess  in  rent  of  a  four  room  house  in  Butte  over  that  of 
the  Michigan  District  is  about  fourteen  dollars,  or  a  total  difference 
of  $22.75,  which  in  an  average  month  of  twenty-four  shifts  amounts 
to  a  difference  of  almost  one  dollar  per  shift. 

While  the  charge  for  medical  service  in  Butte  is  the  same  as 
that  made  by  the  companies  in  Michigan,  the  charge  in  Michigan 
covers  attendance  to  the  family  of  the  miner  while  the  charge  in 
Butte  does  not. 

Welfare  Work.  The  copper  mining  companies  of  the  Michi- 
gan Copper  District  have  uniformly  pursued  the  policy  of  attempt- 
ing to  look  after  the  welfare  of  their  employees  along  certain  well- 
defined  lines.  This  committee  recognizes  the  fact  that  there  are 
two  methods  of  paying  wages  used  by  employers  of  labor.  One 
method,  to  pay  the  employee  for  his  day's  work,  an  adequate  amount 
of  cash  and  to  assume  no  responsibility  whatever  for  his  living  con- 
ditions or  his  welfare  when  not  at  work ;  the  other  method  is  to  pay 
the  employee  for  his  day's  work  in  cash  and  in  addition  thereto  to 
assume  the  responsibility  of  looking  after  his  well-being  and  supply- 
ing him  and  his  family  with  certain  conveniences  and  necessities 
which  assist  in  promoting  his  health  and  happiness.  This  com- 
mittee has  nothing  whatever  to  say  as  to  the  wisdom  of  either 
course.  The  companies  operating  in  the  Michigan  Copper  District 
have  uniformly  adopted  the  second  policy,  that  of  trying  to  do  more 
or  less  for  the  welfare  of  the  employees  and  their  families,  and,  in- 
asmuch as  this  must  all  be  taken  into  consideration  when  estimating 
the  wages  to  employees,  the  committee  has  prepared  the  following 
data  on  the  welfare  work  of  the  various  companies. 

Medical  Attendance  and  Hospital  Service.  All  of  the  com- 
panies operating  undertake  to  provide  medical  attendance  and  hos- 
pital service  for  their  employees  and  their  families.  A  charge  of  one 
dollar  per  month  for  married  men  and  fifty  cents  per  month  for 
single  men  is  made  for  this  service.  This  service  includes  the 
attendance  of  physicians  upon  the  employee  and  any  member  of  his 
family,  as  required,  the  supplying  of  all  medicines  and  prescriptions 
free  of  charge,  and  the  use  of  a  company  hospital  when  required. 
This  charge  also  pays  for  surgical  operations  for  employees  or  mem- 
bers of  their  families,  whenever  necessary.  Charges  are  made  by 
the  various  companies  for  hospital  service  after  a  certain  period  of 
time  at  moderate  rates.  The  companies  have  built  and  equipped 


STRIKE  INVESTIGATION  33 

splendid  hospitals  and  have  supplied  corps  of  physicians  against 
whom  no  complaint  or  charge  has  been  made  as  far  as  the  com- 
mittee has  been  able  to  ascertain.  Without  exception  the  medical 
attendance  and  hospital  service  has  gone  on  to  the  men  on  strike 
during  the  entire  time  the  strike  has  been  on,  without  charge.  At 
the  present  time  a  new  hospital  is  being  erected  at  Calumet  by  the 
Calumet  &  Hecla  Mining  Company  at  an  estimated  cost  of  $250,000. 
This  hospital  is  to  be  equipped  with  every  modern  appliance  con- 
ducive to  efficiency  and  the  comfort  of  the  patients. 

Employees'  Aid  Fund.  At  almost  all  of  the  mines  there  have 
been  established  Employees'  Aid  Funds,  the  purpose  being  to  assist 
employees  in  cases  of  injury  or  sickness.  Employees  become  mem- 
bers by  contributing  to  the  fund  monthly.  The  usual  charge  is  fifty 
cents  per  month.  The  company  administers  the  fund,  usually 
through  a  committee  of  the  members  elected  by  the  members  them- 
selves. In  some  instances,  the  mining  company  has  donated  to  the 
fund  an  amount  equal  to  that  contributed  by  the  men.  In  case  of 
disability  through  sickness  or  accident,  the  aid  fund  pays  the  mem- 
ber a  stated  amount,  usually  one  dollar  per  day,  during  disability, 
and  in  case  of  death,  a  stated  amount  is  paid  to  the  widow  or  de- 
pendents. 

In  the  case  of  the  Calumet  &  Hecla  Mining  Company  and  its 
subsidiary  companies,  the  Ahmeek,  Allouez,  Osceola,  Centennial, 
Tamarack,  Laurium,  La  Salle,  Isle  Royale  and  Superior  Companies, 
the  aid  fund  rules  were  revised  on  September  1,  1912  (when  the 
Michigan  Workmen's  Compensation  Act  went  into  effect),  so  as  to 
apply  only  to  cases  of  sickness  or  injury  incurred  not  in  the  course 
of  employment,  and  all  these  companies  at  that  time  also  incor- 
porated a  rule  that  in  case  of  death  from  sickness  or  such  injuries, 
the  Company  would  donate  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  to  the 
widow  or  dependents  of  the  deceased. 

The  Calumet  &  Hecla  Mining  Company  is  one  of  the  oldest 
companies  operating  in  the  district  and  employs  more  men  than 
any  other  company.  The  mine,  itself,  has  been  the  richest  that  has 
ever  operated  in  the  Michigan  district.  For  these  reasons  the  Calu- 
met &  Hecla  Company  has  carried  out  the  policy  outlined  above  in 
regard  to  welfare  work  to  a  greater  extent  than  any  of  the  other 
companies.  Most  of  the  companies  being  younger  and  having  less 
profitable  territory  to  work  have  not  been  able  to  do  as  much  in  the 
way  of  welfare  work  as  the  Calumet  &  Hecla  Mining  Company. 


34  STRIKE  INVESTIGATION 

As  the  present  strike  seemed  to  be  centered  upon  the  Cain-met  & 
Hecla  Company  and  as  most  of  the  statements  and  claims  made  by 
the  strikers  have  been  directed  against  that  company,  the  committee 
has  investigated  conditions  at  the  Calumet  &  Hecla  mine  to  a 
greater  extent  than  at  any  of  the  other  mines  and  can  give  a  more 
detailed  history  of  the  welfare  work  carried  on  by  that  company. 
Some  of  the  institutions  maintained  by  the  Calumet  &  Hecla  Min- 
ing Company  are  duplicated  by  the  other  companies,  but  a  resume 
of  welfare  work  by  the  Calumet  &  Hecla  Mining  Company  will  give 
a  fair  idea  of  the  policy  of  the  mining  companies  in  the  Michigan 
Copper  District.  The  Calumet  &  Hecla  Mining  Company  main- 
tains the  following  institutions  for  the  welfare  of  the  employees. 

Public  Library.  The  company  has  built  a  substantial  library 
building  and  equipped  it  with  some  thirty-five  thousand  volumes. 
The  books  are  carefully  selected  and  comprise  works  in  various  lan- 
guages and  literature  which  may  be  of  interest  to  the  employees. 
The  library  is  free  to  any  resident  of  Calumet  Township,  which 
includes  not  only  the  employees  of  the  Calumet  &  Hecla  mine  but 
of  several  other  mines,  namely,  North  Kearsarge,  South  Kearsarge, 
Wolverine,  Centennial  and  Laurium,  besides  the  population  in  the 
two  villages  of  Red  Jacket  and  Laurium. 

Bath  House.  The  company  built  at  a  cost  of  fifty  thousand 
dollars,  a  modern  bath  house  containing  tubs,  showers  and  a  swim- 
ming pool  twenty-six  feet  by  forty  feet.  For  the  use  of  the  bath 
house  a  charge  of  two  and  one-half  cents  per  bath  is  made,  except 
in  the  case  of  the  women's  department,  which  is  free  to  women  and 
also  children,  who  must  be  accompanied  by  an  adult  attendant.  The 
charge  of  two  and  one-half  cents,  it  is  claimed,  covers  merely  the 
cost  of  washing  the  towels  and  in  no  way  compensates  for  the 
operation  of  the  bath  house  proper.  The  bath  house  is  designed  in 
two  sections  to  take  care  of  both  the  men  and  women  of  the  com- 
munity. 

Pension  Fund.  In  1904  the  Calumet  &  Hecla  Mining  Company 
started  a  pension  fund.  Certain  employees  who  had  attained  the 
age  of  sixty  years  or  more  and  who  had  been  in  the  company's  em- 
ploy twenty  years  or  more,  were  retired  on  a  pension  proportionate 
to  their  length  of  service  and  their  wages.  These  pensions  have 
run  from  nine  dollars  per  month  to  thirty-eight  dollars  per  month. 


o 
S 

s 
O 

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PQ 
3 


w 

s 

w 


H 

W 

a 

Hi 
< 

o 


STRIKE  INVESTIGATION  41 

The  total  amount  paid  to  date  is  something  over  eighty-one  thou- 
sand dollars. 

Free  Fuel  Distribution.  The  Calumet  &  Hecla  Mining  Com- 
pany has  for  many  years  given  free  wood,  upon  request,  and  in 
many  cases  coal  when  circumstances  justified  it,  to  employees  who 
had  been  unfortunate  in  any  of  many  different  ways,  and  to  any 
with  a  very  large  family  to  support  and  no  income  but  the  man's 
wages,  and  to  the  widows  and  orphans  of  deceased  employees.  The 
teaming  cost  alone  of  the  wood  delivered  is  in  the  neighborhood  of 
one  hundred  dollars  per  month. 

Pasturage.  Pasturage  is  furnished  free  to  all  employees  for 
one  cow,  and  for  each  additional  cow  a  charge  of  one  dollar  per 
month  is  made. 

Electric  Light.  The  company  has  a  contract  with  the  local 
electric  light  company  whereby  employees  living  in  company 
houses  are  furnished  with  electricity  at  a  reduced  rate,  namely,  eight 
cents  per  kilowatt  hour,  the  regular  rate  being  twelve  cents  per  kilo- 
watt hour.  This  reduction  granted  to  the  Calumet  &  Hecla  Mining 
Company  is  given  in  consideration  for  the  light  company's  pole  lines 
running  over  its  property. 

Voluntary  Relief  Fund.  In  May,  1892,  the  company  initiated 
a  voluntary  relief  fund  from  which  monthly  payments  to  widows 
or  orphans  of  deceased  employees  who  lost  their  lives  from  either 
sickness  or  accident  while  in  the  employ  of  the  company,  were 
made.  The  relief  fund  is  started  with  each  widow,  whose  circum- 
stances seem  to  require  it,  shortly  after  the  death  of  the  husband, 
and  continues  until  it  is  not  necessary.  Payments  have  been  made 
for  as  long  as  twelve  years  in  one  case,  and  in  one  case  over  twelve 
hundred  dollars  had  been  paid  to  a  widow  in  less  than  four  years, 
when  she  remarried.  One  hundred  and  eighty  widows  or  orphans 
(only  a  few  of  the  latter)  have  been  paid  from  this  fund,  to  date, 
$29,292.00. 

Churches  and  Schools.  The  Calumet  &  Hecla  Mining  Com- 
pany, as  well  as  the  other  mining  companies  operating  in  the  dis- 
trict, have  donated  liberally  to  the  churches  in  the  community.  In 
the  Calumet  district  there  are  some  thirty  odd  churches  to  which 
the  company  has  contributed  the  sum  of  $35,762.00.  The  companies 


42  STRIKE  INVESTIGATION 

have  also  given  free  sites  for  all  churches  on  their  locations,  and  in 
Calumet  the  Calumet  &  Hecla  Mining  Company  has  given  a  free 
site  to  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  and  has  also  made  a 
donation  to  the  association. 

The  Calumet  &  Hecla  Mining  Company  has  built  and  now 
owns  ten  school  buildings  which  it  rents  to  the  school  district  at 
Calumet  at  a  moderate  rental.  It  has  built  and  equipped  a  high 
school  and  manual  training  school  which  is  the  equal  of  anything  in 
the  state.  The  cost  of  these  school  buildings  and  equipment  is  in 
excess  of  $350,000.00  and  the  rental  charged  amounts  to  a  trifle  over 
three  per  cent  per  annum  on  the  investment.  Other  companies 
operating  in  the  district  have  assisted  in  the  upbuilding  of  the 
school  system  to  a  proportionate  extent. 

The  Calumet  &  Hecla  Mining  Company,  many  years  ago, 
organized  and  equipped  the  Calumet  &  Hecla  band,  which  has 
almost  a  nation-wide  reputation.  During  the  summer  months  this 
band  gives  open-air  band  concerts  in  the  various  mine  locations  in 
the  two  counties. 

The  Calumet  &  Hecla  Mining  Company  has  built  and  equipped 
at  a  cost  of  $33,398.66,  a  large  armory  for  the  use  of  the  Michigan 
National  Guard,  which  it  rents  to  the  state  at  an  annual  rental 
amounting  to  3  per  cent  on  the  investment. 

Club  Houses.  The  committee  was  shown  plans  for  club  houses 
for  the  employees  of  various  companies  which  had  been  determined 
upon  long  before  the  strike  took  place.  These  club  houses  are  to 
be  built  for  the  purpose  of  giving  the  men  a  place  in  which  to  spend 
their  leisure  time  and  are  to  be  equipped  with  bowling  alleys,  read- 
ing rooms,  card  rooms  and  meeting  halls.  The  committee  has  been 
informed  that  the  building  of  these  club  houses  will  go  forward 
regardless  of  the  present  strike. 

Safety  Measures.  In  the  course  of  the  investigation  made  by 
the  committee  it  was  made  quite  apparent  that  the  managements 
of  the  different  mines  have  given  considerable  attention  to  the  prob- 
lem of  prevention  of  accidents.  Mining  is,  of  course,  a  hazardous 
enterprise,  and  it  is  a  generally  accepted  fact  by  those  in  control  of 
the  mining  industries,  that  the  matter  of  safeguarding  the  em- 
ployees is  a  good  and  sound  business  policy.  The  committee  was 
particularly  impressed  by  the  efforts  made  by  some  of  the  manage- 
ments to  convince  all  of  their  employees,  bosses  and  workmen  of 


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STRIKE  INVESTIGATION  53 

all  degrees,  of  the  importance  of  taking  proper  precautions  to  pre- 
vent accidents.  Following  are  samples  of  slips  which  were  sent  out 
with  the  pay  checks  to  all,  employees  of  a  number  of  companies  at 
different  times,  impressing  upon  them  the  necessity  for  care  and  the 
fact  that  the  company  desired  above  all  things  to  make  safety  the 
first  consideration.  In  addition  to  this  all  of  the  officers  and  bosses 
are  instructed  to  urge  upon  them  at  all  times  the  necessity  for  keep- 
ing in  mind  the  idea  of  "Safety  First."  The  committee  is  convinced 
that  the  mining  companies  of  the  copper  district  of  Michigan  are 
trying  to  do  everything  to  make  this  industry  as  safe  for  its  em- 
ployees underground  as  is  possible. 


What  would  it  mean  to  you,  and  your  family,  if  the  hazard 
of  accident  in  your  wording  place  Was  reduced  by  one-half? 

The  management  and  your  boss  are  willing,  and  trying,  to 
do  their  part. 

You  and  your  fellow- workmen  can  help  a  lot  to  accomplish 
such  a  condition. 

Think  and  Act— "SAFETY  FIRST." 
Better  cause  a  delay  than  an  accident. 


WHY  TAKE  A  CHANCE?  Join  the  movement  for 
"Safety  First"  today,  then  note  the  reduction  in  accidents. 

Thank  the  other  fellow  when  he  calls  your  attention  to  a 
dangerous  condition  connected  with  your  Worfy,  and  don't  fail  to 
call  the  attention  of  your  fellow-workmen  to  the  dangers  you  see. 

Warn  everybody  and  get  word  to  the  person  whose  duty  it 
is  to  Make  Safe.  Ofl  times  you  can  maf^e  a  dangerous 
situation  Safe  in  less  time  than  it  ta^es  to  tell  about  it. 

Show  an  interest  in  the  other  fellow's  life  and  limb,  and  he 
will  assist  you  in  safeguarding  yours. 


54  STRIKE  INVESTIGATION 


Exercise  of  care   to  prevent  accidents    is  a    duty  you 
owe  to  yourself  and  your  fellow  employes. 

Don't  hesitate  to  call  attention  to  defects  in  or  around  the 
mine  or  to  the  carelessness  of  fellow-employes. 

Cause  a  DELAY  if  you  must, 
but  not  an  ACCIDENT. 


The  Present  Strike.  In  the  early  part  of  July  of  this  year,  each 
mining  company  operating  in  the  district  received  a  notice,  of  which 
the  following  is  a  copy : 

COPPER  DISTRICT  UNION 

WESTERN  FEDERATION  OF  MINERS. 

Box  217. 

Hancock,  Mich.,  July  14,  1913. 

To  the  Lake  Copper  Company,  Lake  Mine,  Ontonagon  County,  Mich. 
C.  K.  Hitchcock,  Superintendent. 

Gentlemen :  Your  employees,  organized  into  local  unions  of  the  West- 
ern Federation  of  Miners,  have  decided  by  referendum  vote  to  ask  that  you 
meet  their  representatives  in  conference  on  some  day  during  this  month  for 
the  purpose  of  discussing  the  possibilities  of  shortening  the  working  day, 
raising  the  wages  and  making  some  changes  in  the  working  conditions. 

The  men  working  in  and  around  your  mines  are  dissatisfied  with  wages, 
hours  and  other  conditions  of  employment.  Realizing  that  as  individuals 
they  would  not  have  sufficient  strength  to  correct  those  evils  or  to  lessen 
the  burden  placed  upon  them,  they  have  organized  into  the  local  unions  of 
the  W.  F.  M.,  and  through  the  local  unions  they  have  formed  one  compact 
body  of  the  whole  Copper  District  with  an  understanding  and  hope  that 
from  now  on  they  may  be  enabled  to  sell  their  labor  power  collectively, 
with  greater  advantage  for  themselves  as  well  as  their  employers. 

While  the  men  have  decided  that  they  must  have  greater  remuneration 
for  their  services,  and  that  the  working  day  must  be  shortened,  it  is  not 
their  nor  our  desire  that  we  should  have  a  strike  with  all  the  sufferings  that 
it  is  bound  to  bring  to  the  men,  to  the  employers  and  to  general  public. 
On  the  other  hand  we  earnestly  hope  that  the  questions  that  have  arisen 
between  us  would  be  settled  peacefully  with  fairness  and  justice  to  both 
sides.  Should  you  have  the  same  feelings,  we  believe  that  the  friendly  re- 
lations that  have  existed  between  you  and  your  employees  in  the  past  will 
continue  in  the  future. 

However,  should  you  follow  the  example  given  by  some  of  the  most 
stupid  and  unfair  mine  owners  in  the  past,  the  men  have  instructed  us  by 
the  same  referendum  vote,  to  call  a  strike  in  all  the  mines  owned  and  con- 
controlled  by  your  company. 

We   deem  it  unnecessary  to   set  forth   the   facts   and  reasons  for  the 


STRIKE  INVESTIGATION  55 

demand  for  higher  wages  and  shorter  hours  and  other  things,  as  we  intend 
to  do  that  in  the  conference,  should  you  be  fair  enough  to  meet  us. 

We  hope  you  realize  that  labor  has  just  as  much  right  to  organize  as 
capital,  and  that  these  two  forces,  Labor  and  Capital,  while  their  interests 
are  not  identical,  must  get  together  and  solve  the  problems  that  confront 
them. 

We  expect  to  have  your  answer  not  later  than  the  21st  of  this  month. 
If  you  agree  to  meet  us,  our  representatives  will  be  ready  for  a  conference 
on  any  day  and  at  any  place  that  you  may  choose;  provided  that  you  do  not 
set  the  day  any  later  than  the  28th  of  this  month. 

Your  failure   to  answer  this  letter  will  be  taken  as  a  proof  that  you 
are  not  willing  to  meet  us  and  to  have  the  matters  settled  peacefully. 
Hoping  to  hear  from  you  soon,  we  remain, 

Respectfully  yours, 
(Signed)  C.  E.  HIETALA, 

Secretary  of  Copper  District 

Union  No.  16  W.  F.  M. 
DAN  SULLIVAN, 
President  of  Copper  District 

Union  No.  16  W.  F.  M. 

All  communications  should  be  addressed  to  C.  E.  Hietala,  Box  217, 
Hancock,  Mich. 

From  information  furnished  by  the  mine  managers,  it  appears 
that  none  of  the  mine  managers  replied  to  the  notice.  On  the 
twenty-third  of  July  the  present  strike  commenced,  when  a  large 
part  of  the  day  shift  men  at  each  of  the  mines  did  not  appear  for 
work.  The  committee,  for  the  sake  of  completeness,  would  like  to 
be  able  to  give  statistics  as  to  the  number  of  men  in  the  employ  of 
each  company  who  belonged  to  the  Western  Federation  of  Miners 
at  the  time  the  strike  was  calledr  and  also  the  number  of  members 
of  the  Western  Federation  of  Miners  at  each  mine  who  voted  in 
favor  of  the  strike.  For  the  reason  set  out  in  the  beginning  of  this 
report  this  information  is  not  forthcoming.  Conflicting  claims  have 
been  made  by  the  officials  of  the  Western  Federation  of  Miners  and 
the  mine  operators.  The  officials  of  the  Western  Federation  of 
Miners  claim  that  a  very  large  percentage  of  all  the  men  employed 
were  members  of  the  union  before  the  strike  and  voted  in  favor  of 
the  strike, — the  mine  operators  claim  that  but  a  small  percentage 
were  members  of  the  Western  Federation  of  Miners  before  the 
strike. 

One  of  the  mine  managers,  Mr.  Denton  of  the  Copper  Range 
Consolidated  Company,  after  receiving  the  notice  above  mentioned, 
made  a  poll  of  the  employees  of  the  company  and  each  man  was 
asked  two  questions.  One  question  was,  "Are  you  a  member  of 
the  Western  Federation  of  Miners?"  The  second  question  was, 
"Do  you  give  the  Western  Federation  of  Miners  the  right  to  repre- 


56  STRIKE  INVESTIGATION 

sent  you  in  calling  a  strike?"  Out  of  2,495  men  who  answered  these 
questions,  171  answered  in  the  affirmative  to  both  questions  and 
2,324  answered  in  the  negative  to  both  questions.  The  results  of 
this  poll  are  given  by  the  committee  not  as  determining  anything, 
but  as  a  bit  of  evidence  that  may  be  taken  for  what  it  is  worth. 

At  several  of  the  mines,  including  the  Calumet  &  Hecla,  the 
Quincy,  the  Franklin,  the  Winona  and  the  Copper  Range  Consoli- 
dated, many  men  reported  for  work  on  the  evening  of  the  twenty- 
third  for  the  night  shift,  and  at  some  of  the  mines  work  continued 
for  a  day,  in  one  instance  for  two  days  after  the  strike  commenced. 
Within  two  days,  however,  all  underground  work  had  ceased  en- 
tirely in  practically  all  the  mines. 

Calling  Out  of  State  Troops.  The  beginning  of  the  strike  was 
attended  with  violence,  especially  at  Calumet,  and  the  Copper 
Range  towns.  A  considerable  number  of  employees  and  deputy 
sheriffs,  who  had  been  sworn  in  to  guard  the  various  properties, 
were  assaulted,  the  entire  deputy  force  of  the  county  was  disorgan- 
ized and  the  sheriff  left  without  an  adequate  force  to  cope  with  the 
situation.  These  facts  are  substantiated  by  the  action  of  the  sheriff 
of  Houghton  county  in  appealing  to  the  governor  of  the  state  for 
the  aid  of  state  troops  in  restoring  peace  and  stamping  out  lawless- 
ness, which  appeal  was  sent  in  during  the  night  of  July  twenty- 
third.  On  the  twenty-fourth,  as  it  was  reported  to  the  governor 
that  the  acts  of  violence  of  the  night  before  were  continuing,  the 
entire  Michigan  National  Guard  was  ordered  to  the  Copper  Coun- 
try. This  committee  has  no  hesitation  in  saying,  from  its  investiga- 
tion and  from  the  personal  knowledge  of  the  members  of  the  com- 
mittee, that  the  governor  of  the  state  was  absolutely  justified  in 
dispatching  the  state  troops  to  the  Copper  Country  at  the  time 
when  he  did,  and  this  committee  has  nothing  but  words  of  the 
highest  commendation  for  the  prompt  action  which  the  governor 
took  at  that  time. 

Pumping  Stopped.  For  some  time  after  the  commencement  of 
the  strike,  underground  operations  of  every  kind  were  discontinued 
at  the  various  mines,  the  pumps  were  idle  and  the  mines  were  grad- 
ually being  flooded  with  water.  At  some  of  the  mines  even  the 
operation  of  the  fire  pumps  was  stopped,  leaving  communities  with- 
out fire  protection.  This  has  been  true  of  Mohawk  and  Ahmeek. 
At  Ahmeek  the  fire  pumps  operated  by  the  Ahmeek  Mining  Com- 


STRIKE  INVESTIGATION  57 

pany  afford  fire  protection  to  the  incorporated  village  of  Ahmeek 
and  the  location  called  Copper  City. 

The  committee  does  not  undertake  to  say  whether  or  not  any 
of  the  violence  of  the  early  days  of  the  strike  can  be  charged 
directly  to  the  Western  Federation  of  Miners.  It  is  undoubtedly 
true,  however,  that  the  stopping  of  the  pumps  in  the  Ahmeek  mine 
was  by  the  order  of  the  Western  Federation  of  Miners.  This  is 
proven  by  the  fact  that  when  it  became  known  that  the  fire  pro- 
tection had  ceased  in  the  village  of  Ahmeek,  the  superintendent  of 
the  Ahmeek  Mining  Company  was  served  with  a  written  permission 
to  operate  its  fire  pumps,  which  was  given  in  the  following  form : 

(Keweenaw  Miners'  Union) 
[SEAL]  (No.  129  W.  F.  M.  ) 

(Organized  May  25,    1913) 
Ahmeek,   Mich.,  July  26,   1913. 
Mr.  S.  Russ  Smith,  Sup't.,  Ahmeek,  Mich. 

Dear  Sir:  In  behalf  of  the  Western  Federation  of  Miners,  you  are 
hereby  authorized  to  keep  sufficient  pumps  operating  for  the  purpose  of 
Fire  Protection,  and  the  Electric  Light  Plant  running.  In  case  you  de- 
termine that  two  men  are  not  sufficient  you  are  authorized  to  hire  four  (4). 

JOHN  DUNNIGAN, 
WILLIAM  WILLIAMS, 
DOLPHUS  LITTLE, 
JAMES  ROWE, 
JAMES  PAULL, 
ANTON  PECHAUER, 

Committee. 

About  the  same  time  the  superintendent  of  the  Allouez  Mining 
Company,  having  called  upon  the  sheriff  of  Keweenaw  County  for 
protection  in  guarding  or  removing  some  thirty-five  thousand 
pounds  of  dynamite,  which  were  stored  in  a  powder  house  at 
Allouez,  was  served  with  a  written  permission  to  remove  the  same, 
which  was  given  in  the  following  form : 

Ahmeek,  Mich.,  July  28,  1913. 
Mr.  Fred  Ridley,  Ass't  Superintendent,  Allouez  Mining  Company,  Calumet, 

Michigan. 

Dear  Sir:  In  behalf  of  the  Local  Union  of  the  Western  Federation  of 
Miners,  you  are  hereby  authorized  to  employ  men  and  teams  that  may  be 
necessary  for  the  removal  of  the  powder  from  the  Allouez  Mining  Co.'s 
Powder  magazine,  in  Allouez,  to  some  place  outside  of  Keweenaw  Co. 

JOHN  DUNNIGAN, 
W.  L.  WILLIAMS, 
DOLPHUS  LITTLE, 
JAMES  PAULL, 
E.  JAMES  ROWE, 
ANTON  PECHAUER, 
Committee  of  Local  Union  W.  F.  M. 


58  STRIKE  INVESTIGATION 

These  facts,  at  least,  indicate  that  the  Western  Federation  of 
Miners  or  the  Ahmeek  Local  had  some  influence  in  driving  away 
the  employees  of  the  various  mines. 

Strong  efforts  were  made  by  the  different  mine  managers  to 
commence  the  operation  of  the  underground  pumps,  and  within  a 
few  days,  at  several  of  the  mines,  the  pumps  were  again  going  and 
the  water  was  being  lowered.  However,  in  some  mines  the  pumps 
have  never  been  permitted  to  be  operated.  This  is  true  especially 
of  the  Mohawk  mine. 

Number  of  Men  Now  at  Work.  From  the  time  work  was 
first  recommenced  at  some  of  the  mines,  the  number  of  men  em- 
ployed has  gradually  increased  until  at  the  date  of  this  report, 
October  8,  1913,  there  are  working  at  the  various  mines,  the  follow- 
ing number  of  men : 

Mine.  Total  Working.     Underground. 

Mohawk    25                         

Ahmeek    46  10 

Allouez    40  14 

N.   Kearsarge    '. 28  11 

Wolverine    24  3 

S.  Kearsarge  72  45 

Centennial 61  26 

Calumet   &  Hecla 3442  1340 

Tamarack     110  14 

La  Salle    23  4 

Franklin 32  2 

Buincy    511  235 

ancock   38  12 

Isle  Royale    101  53 

Superior    68  37 

Copper  Range  Con 786  263 

Winona     38  10 

Total 5445  2079 

Re-Employment  of  Labor.  As  the  district  for  some  time  pre- 
vious to  the  strike  was  suffering  a  shortage  of  labor,  the  committee 
is  informed  that  it  will  be  necessary,  in  order  to  bring  the  number 
of  employees  up  to  the  normal  force,  to  give  employment  to  con- 
siderable more  men  than  were  working  on  the  day  before  the  strike. 
A  few  of  the  companies  are  at  the  present  time  taking  into  their 
employment  outside  labor  which  is  coming  into  the  district.  This, 
however,  to  a  limited  extent.  For  some  time  previous  to  the  strike 
there  existed  a  shortage  of  labor  in  the  Copper  Country.  It  is 
estimated  from  figures  obtained  at  the  various  mines  that  they  were 
operating  with  about  1,500  men  short  of  normal  force.  In  addition 


STRIKE  INVESTIGATION  59 

to  this,  it  is  estimated,  that  when  the  strike  commenced,  fully 
2,000  men  left  the  district,  and,  therefore,  as  nearly  as  the  com- 
mittee can  ascertain  from  the  various  mine  managers,  if  the  men  on 
strike  desire  to  go  back  to  work,  there  will  be  plenty  of  opportunity 
for  them  to  obtain  their  old  positions.  This  statement  is  made  with 
the  reservation,  however,  that  the  various  managers  declare  that 
they  will  not  re-employ  certain  of  their  old  employees  who  have 
taken  part  in  any  violence  or  criminal  action  during  the  days  of 
the  strike. 

Imported  Guards.  As  many  charges  have  been  made  that  the 
mine  managers  have  imported  strike  breakers  and  gun  men,  also 
known  as  Waddell  men,  to  break  the  strike,  the  committee  thought 
it  wise  to  investigate  this  feature  and  as  a  result  of  that  investiga- 
tion present  the  following  facts. 

The  first  outside  men  employed  in  the  strike  district  were  em- 
ployed by  the  sheriff  of  Houghton  County,  with  the  approval  of  the 
Board  of  Supervisors.  These  men  were  employed  through  the 
Waddell-Mahon  agency,  and  the  committee  is  informed  by  the 
sheriff  that  the  reason  for  the  employment  of  these  men  was  as 
follows :  At  the  beginning  of  the  strike  the  entire  deputy  force  of 
the  county  was  disorganized  and  practically  disbanded.  There  were 
few  deputy  sheriffs  who  were  of  any  use  in  enforcing  the  law.  It 
became  necessary  to  organize,  in  the  quickest  possible  time,  this 
force  of  deputies  in  such  a  way  as  to  make  it  effective.  As  time  was 
important,  the  sheriff  employed  certain  experienced  men  to  under- 
take the  work  of  organizing  the  deputy  force.  At  Calumet  four 
men  were  located  who  took  charge  of  the  force  of  deputies  and 
within  a  short  time  brought  order  out  of  chaos.  One  or  two  men 
were  stationed  at  each  locality  to  act  in  conjunction  with  local 
deputies.  A  certain  number  of  these  men  were  stationed,  at  the 
request  of  citizens,  by  the  sheriff,  at  places  in  the  various  villages, 
such  as  banks  and  newspaper  offices.  The  largest  number  of  these 
men  employed  by  the  sheriff  at  any  one  time  was  fifty-two.  At  this 
time  none  of  the  mining  companies  had  employed  any  outside  men 
of  any  kind.  Later  on  during  the  strike,  when  a  removal  of  a 
portion  of  the  troops  was  undertaken,  some  of  the  companies  hired 
a  few  of  these  men  to  act  with  the  local  deputies  in  guarding  their 
properties.  The  Copper  Range  Consolidated  Company  has  em- 
ployed from  time  to  time  some  of  these  men,  the  largest  number  at 


60  STRIKE  INVESTIGATION 

any  time  being  thirty-two.  The  Ouincy  Mining  Company  has  em- 
ployed from  time  to  time  some  of  these  men,  the  largest  number  at 
any  time  being  twenty-eight.  The  Calumet  &  Hecla  mine  and  its 
subsidiaries,  the  Hancock,  the  Mohawk,  the  Wolverine,  the  Frank- 
lin and  the  Winona  have  not  employed  any  of  the  so-called  Wad- 
dell  men.  Within  the  last  week  the  Ahmeek  Mining  Company  em- 
ployed twenty-five  men  from  another  agency  to  act  as  mine  guards, 
the  Ahmeek  Mining  Company  being  situated  in  Keweenaw  county 
where  at  the  time  of  this  report  there  had  been  no  organization  of 
the  local  deputies  and  where  it  became  necessary  to  employ  outside 
guards  if  operations  were  to  be  commenced. 

The  above  facts  in  regard  to  the  men  employed  by  the  sheriff 
of  Houghton  county,  are  taken  from  the  records  of  the  sheriff  of 
Houghton  County,  and  of  the  supervisors'  meetings  of  Houghton 
county.  The  facts  in  regard  to  the  number  of  men  employed  by  the 
mining  companies  are  given  as  stated  by  the  managers  of  the 
various  companies,  and  as  shown  by  the  pay-rolls  of  the  various 
companies.  At  the  present  time  there  are  in  the  employ  of  the 
sheriff  of  Houghton  County,  thirty-one  men  from  outside  agencies. 

Injunction.  On  the  twentieth  day  of  September  a  bill  of  in- 
junction was  filed  by  the  mining  companies  against  the  Western 
Federation  of  Miners  and  all  of  its  members,  in  the  Circuit  Court 
for  the  Twelfth  Judicial  Circuit.  At  the  same  time  an  application 
was  made  to  the  Circuit  Judge  for  a  temporary  injunction.  This 
injunction  was  issued  and,  in  brief,  restrained  the  Western  Federa- 
tion of  Miners,  the  various  local  unions  and  all  of  their  members 
from  in  any  manner  interfering  with,  molesting  or  disturbing  work- 
men in  the  employ  of  the  companies  or  those  who  might  desire  to 
work,  by  way  of  threats,  personal  violence  or  intimidation,  from 
picketing  in  and  about  the  vicinity  of  the  mines,  from  interfering 
with  free  access  of  employees  from  their  homes  to  the  mines  and 
the  free  return  to  their  homes,  from  gathering  and  parading  in 
large  numbers  in  the  vicinity  of  the  mines  during  the  morning  and 
evening  hours  when  employees  are  going  to  or  returning  from 
their  work. 

Previous  to  the  time  the  injunction  was  issued,  it  was  custo- 
mary for  the  strikers  to  parade  at  the  various  mining  locations  dur- 
ing the  early  morning  hours  when  the  workmen  were  going  to  their 
work,  and  a  number  of  clashes  had  taken  place  in  the  streets  of  the 


STRIKE  INVESTIGATION  61 

various  villages  and  mining  locations.  The  state  troops  were  on 
duty  at  these  places  during  the  hours  when  the  parades  took)  place 
and  undoubtedly  prevented  the  greater  portion  of  the  rioting  and 
lawlessness.  Numerous  arrests  had  been  made  but  very  few  cases 
had  been  brought  to  trial,  and  of  those  brought  to  trial  but  a  very 
limited  number  had  resulted  in  convictions.  After  the  injunction 
was  issued  there  ensued  a  period  of  comparative  quiet  as  it  appeared 
that  the  injunction  was  very  generally  obeyed.  With  a  few  excep- 
tions the  early  morning  clashes  between  the  strikers  and  non-strik- 
ers was  done  away  with  and  the  community  had  assumed,  to  some 
extent  at  least,  the  aspect  of  having  some  respect  for  law  and  order. 
Application  was  immediately  made  by  the  Western  Federation  of 
Miners,  through  its  attorneys,  for  the  dissolution  of  the  injunction, 
and  on  Monday,  the  twenty-ninth  of  September,  the  matter  was 
brought  on  for  hearing  and  the  injunction  was  dissolved.  With  the 
dissolution  of  the  injunction  the  rioting  and  lawlessness  of  former 
days  was  repeated  with  increased  vigor.  Parades  and  picketing  were 
resumed  and  in  Keweenaw  County,  where  the  Allouez,  Ahmeek  and 
Mohawk  mines  are  located,  a  state  of  lawlessness  broke  out  which 
absolutely  baffled  the  civil  authorities. 

Necessity  for  Troops  in  Strike  Zone  at  Present  Time.  On 
Monday  evening  a  railroad  train,  conveying  men  to  the  Ahmeek 
mine,  was  attacked  by  rioters  and  stones  and  many  shots  were  fired 
and  the  train  was  compelled  to  run  back  to  Calumet  without  deliver- 
ing the  men.  The  men  were  sent  to  Ahmeek  on  Tuesday  morning 
at  an  early  hour  in  automobiles.  The  distance  from  Calumet  to 
Ahmeek  is  about  seven  miles.  The  distance  from  Allouez  to  the 
Ahmeek  Location  where  the  men  were  delivered,  is  two  miles. 
Between  these  two  points  the  automobiles  were  fired  upon,  both 
on  their  way  down  and  also  on  the  way  back  when  empty  ex- 
cept for  the  chauffeurs.  On  Wednesday  morning,  at  an  early 
hour,  an  automobile,  containing  four  men  who  were  going  on 
a  hunting  trip,  ran  through  a  fusillade  of  shots  on  the  way  from 
Allouez  to  Ahmeek,  many  of  which  lodged  in  the  car  and  some  of 
which  struck  the  occupants  of  the  car,  without,  however,  doing  them 
much  damage. 

The  sheriff  of  Keweenaw  County  called  a  special  meeting  of 
the  Board  of  Supervisors  for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  what  might 
be  done  in  order  to  cope  with  the  situation.  As  a  result  of  the  meet- 
ing a  message  was  sent  to  the  governor  of  the  state  informing  him 


62  STRIKE  INVESTIGATION 

of  the  state  of  affairs  in  Keweenaw  County  and  appealing  to  him 
for  help.  Additional  troops  were  dispatched  from  Houghton  County 
to  Ahmeek  at  once,  and  at  the  present  time  the  militia  seem  to  have 
the  situation  in  hand. 

On  Monday  morning,  the  sixth  of  October,  an  employee  of  the 
Ahmeek  Company,  while  on  his  way  to  work,  was  stopped  by  ten 
men  and  requested  to  show  his  union  book.  On  replying  that  he 
had  no  book  one  of  the  men  attempted  to  take  hold  of  him  and  he 
broke  away  and  ran.  As  he  was  running  he  was  fired  upon  twice, 
the  second  shot  taking  effect  and  passing  through  his  hip.  As  he 
fell  the  ten  men  ran  away,  leaving  him  lying  on  the  ground. 

These  instances  are  given  by  the  committee  merely  as  an  indi- 
cation of  the  situation  in  the  Copper  Country  and  as  tending  to 
show  the  necessity  for  the  presence  of  the  Michigan  National  Guard 
in  the  first  instance,  and  the  absolute  necessity  of  maintaining  at 
least  a  portion  of  the  National  Guard  in  the  strike  district  at  the 
present  time. 

Conduct  of  Troops.  In  connection  with  the  foregoing  the  com- 
mittee wishes  to  emphasize  its  approval  of  the  action  of  the  gover- 
nor of  the  state  in  keeping  the  state  troops  in  the  Copper  Country 
during  the  strike,  and  takes  occasion  at  this  point  in  its  report  to 
commend  most  highly  the  efficiency  of  the  National  Guard  and  the 
conduct  of  the  men  and  officers  stationed  in  the  mining  district.  Re- 
ports to  the  contrary  notwithstanding,  the  conduct  of  both  men  and 
officers  has  been  exemplary  and  the  committee  feels  that  the  state 
of  Michigan  can  feel  proud  of  the  men  of  the  National  Guard  who 
have  done  service  in  the  Copper  District  during  the  present  strike. 

Action  by  Civil  Authorities.  Without  any  intention  of  unduly 
criticising  the  civil  authorities  of  either  county,  the  committee  still 
feels  that  the  action  of  at  least  a  portion  of  the  county  officers  leaves 
much  to  be  desired.  In  many  instances,  after  serious  rioting,  no 
arrests  whatever  have  been  made.  With  all  the  disturbance  and  use 
of  firearms  that  has  gone  on  in  Keweenaw  County  during  the  last 
week,  as  far  as  the  committee  has  been  able  to  ascertain,  not  one 
arrest  has  been  made.  In  Houghton  county,  while  many  arrests 
have  been  made,  the  results,  as  far  as  any  influence  on  the  suppres- 
sion of  lawlessness  is  concerned,  have  amounted  to  nothing.  Dur- 
ing the  course  of  the  strike  there  have  been  many  arrests  made.  Of 
the  number  arrested,  but  a  few  have  been  tried.  Some  five  or  six 


STRIKE  INVESTIGATION  63 

have  been  found  guilty,  and  of  the  remainder  many  cases  have  been 
dismissed  and  many  cases  are  still  pending.  In  most  every  instance, 
those  arrested  have  been  released  on  a  moderate  bail  and  in  a  num- 
ber of  instances  persons  have  been  arrested  two  or  three  times  and 
released  each  time  on  a  moderate  bail.  The  committee  states  these 
facts  not  as  a  direct  criticism  of  the  officers  but  as  further  tending 
to  show  the  inability  of  the  civil  authorities  to  handle  the  situation 
and  the  necessity  for  maintaining  the  National  Guard  in  the  strike 
district. 

Labor  Conditions.  The  committee,  in  addition  to  investigating 
the  facts  relative  to  living  conditions  in  the  copper  district,  the  his- 
tory of  the  strike  and  the  necessity  for  maintaining  the  troops  and 
other  data  hereinbefore  given,  have  gathered  considerable  data  in 
regard  to  the  various  demands  and  grievances  upon  which  the 
Western  Federation  of  Miners  seems  to  have  based  the  strike.  No 
definite  demand,  outside  of  the  notice  served  upon  the  various  com- 
panies, as  given  hereinbefore,  has  been  at  any  time  made  upon  any 
of  the  companies  setting  out  the  particular  grievances  or  the  living 
or  labor  conditions  which  it  is  sought  to  remedy  by  this  strike. 
However,  from  the  public  prints,  from  talks  with  the  various  per- 
sons belonging  to  the  union  and  from  the  pages  of  the  official  sheet 
of  the  Western  Federation  of  Miners,  the  "Miners'  Bulletin,"  the 
committee  has  ascertained  that  the  following  demands  and  griev- 
ances constitute  the  basis  upon  which  the  strike  is  being  carried  on. 

Demands. 

1.  A  demand  for  the  recognition  of  the  Western  Federation  of 
Miners. 

2.  A  demand  for  either  the  abolishment  of  the  one-man  drill 
or  the  working  of  two  men  on  each  drill. 

3.  A  demand  for  a  minimum  wage  of  three  dollars  for  tram- 
mers and  three  dollars  and  fifty  cents  for  miners. 

4.  A  demand  for  an  eight-hour  working  day. 

Grievances. 

1.  The  claim  that  men  are  not  treated  with  justice  and  decency 
by  the  petty  bosses  employed  in  the  mines. 

2.  That  the  men  have  no  adequate  way  of  presenting  griev- 
ances to  the  various  mining  managers  without  incurring  the  dis- 


64  STRIKE  INVESTIGATION 

pleasure  of  the  minor  bosses  and  undergoing  discrimination  and 
possible  discharge  for  making  complaints. 

The  committee  has  tried  to  investigate  and  ascertain  the  facts, 
as  far  as  they  can  be  obtained,  with  relation  to  the  foregoing  de- 
mands and  grievances,  and  presents  the  same  herewith. 

1.  Recognition  of  the  Western  Federation  of  Miners.    This  has 
already  been  touched  upon  in  the  first  part  of  this  report.     The 
record  of  the  Western  Federation  of  Miners  upon  which  the  mine 
managers  base  their  refusal  to  treat  with  that  organization,  is  a 
matter  of  history  which   the  committee   can   not   elaborate  upon. 
Whether  the  mine  managers  are  justified  in  the  stand  they  have 
taken  relative  to  recognition  of  this  organization  is  one  which  must 
be  left  to  public  opinion.    The  fact  remains,  and  the  committee  is 
thoroughly  convinced  of  this,  that  the  mine  managers  of  the  Copper 
Country  District  of  Michigan  will  not  recognize  the  Western  Fed- 
eration  of   Miners   and   therefore   any   further   discussion   of   that 
subject  would  be  useless. 

2.  The  One-Man  Drill.     It  is  claimed  by  the  Western  Fed- 
eration of  Miners  and  its  members  that  the  one-man  drill,  so-called, 
has   placed   a   burden   upon   the    miners   in   the    copper   mines   of 
Michigan  which   is  not   commensurate  with  the  wages  paid.     In 
this  connection,  in  order  to  clarify  the  situation,  it  may  be  stated 
that  drilling  originally  was   done  by  hand.     The  purpose  of  the 
drill  in  mining  work  is  to  drill  holes   into  which  the  powder  is 
afterwards  charged  for  blasting.     In  the  early  days  of  mining  this 
work  was  done  by  two  or  more  men,  one  of  the  men  holding  the 
drill  while  other  men  acted  as  strikers.     As  the  mining  industry 
developed,  a  power  drill  was  introduced  which  was  operated  by  two 
men.     The  introduction  of  the  first  powder  drill  operated  by  two 
men  met  with  the  same  resistance  which  is  now  being  offered  to 
the  one-man  drill.    The  claim  was  made  that  it  would  put  a  great 
many  men  out  of  employment,  which  same  claim  is  also  made  at 
the  present  time  in  reference  to  the  one-man  drill. 

It  may  be  stated  generally  that  in  the  Lake  Superior  Copper 
District  the  average  copper  contents  of  the  rock  decreases  with 
depth.  This  has  been  the  history  of  the  district  and  the  cost  of 
mining  increases  proportionately  with  depth.  As  has  been  shown 
briefly  in  this  report  by  tables,  the  Michigan  Copper  mines  are 
operating  with  rock  carrying  lower  copper  contents  than  the  other 


STRIKE  INVESTIGATION  65 

copper  mining  districts  of 'the  United  States,  and  the  Michigan 
copper  mines  are  operating  at  greater  depth  and  consequently  at 
greater  cost  than  the  other  copper  mines  of  the  United  States.  In 
order  to  compete  with  the  other  copper  districts  of  the  United 
States,  the  above  facts  have  made  it  absolutely  imperative  that  the 
mines  of  Michigan  should  be  operated  with  the  closest  economy. 
The  committee  believes  that  the  tables,  hereinafter  given,  of  wages 
paid  in  the  Michigan  Copper  District  will  demonstrate  the  fact  that 
the  operators  in  Michigan  have  attempted  to  practice  their  greatest 
economy  in  the  way  of  improved  machinery  and  equipment  and  the 
greatest  step  that  has  been  made  in  this  direction  in  recent  years  is 
the  installation  of  the  one-man  drill.  The  standpoint  of  the  opera- 
tors in  regard  to  the  one-man  drill  can  not  be  given  any  more 
clearly  than  in  quoting  from  a  statement  made  by  the  superin- 
tendent of  one  of  the  mines,  as  follows: 

"The  necessity  for  further  close  economy  in  the  operation  of 
our  mines  forced  us  to  go  into  the  market  for  a  more  efficient 
drilling  machine  and,  if  possible,  a  machine  that  could  be  operated 
with  one  man,  as  compared  with  two,  which  was  standard  practice. 
After  about  eighteen  months  of  experimenting  we  adopted  our 
present  machine.  Our  intention  was  to  divide  the  benefits  accruing 
to  us  from  the  use  of  the  one-man  machine  with  the  men.  This 
benefit  to  take  the  form  of  higher  wages  to  machine  operators 
(called  miners).  That  we  have  carried  out  this  plan  is  shown  by 
the  following  table,  which  shows  the  increase  in  wages  to  the  men . 
operating  one-man  drills  over  wages  made  when  operating  two- 
men  drills. 

Comparative  Statistics  on  One-Man  Drill  and  Two-Man  Drill  Calumet  & 
Hecla  and  Subsidiary  Mines  for  Year  Ending  December  31,  1912. 

Av.  Wage 

Shifts.     Amt.  Rec'd.       Supplies.  Total.  Per  Shift. 

Two-man    drill.  .350,012    $1,024,801.84    $291,526.14    $1,316,327.98        $2.83 
One-man   drill...   54,758         193,935.81        94,058.24         287,994.05          3.34 

The  miners'  wages  largely  depend  upon  the  efficiency  of  the 
man,  as  our  work  is  all  on  the  bonus  system  and  is  so  arranged 
that  increased  efficiency  is  of  mutual  benefit  to  the  employer  and 
the  employee.  We  have  a  fixed  contract  which  is  not  cut  as  the 
efficiency  of  the  employee  increases.  It  is  also  one  of  our  rules  that 
in  case  a  man  does  not  make  what  we  call  a  fair  rate  he  is  paid  off 
at  a  rate  of  not  less  than  sixty-five  dollars  per  month,  but  this  ruling 
affects  a  very  small  portion  of  our  employees.  In  fact,  for  the 


66  STRIKE  INVESTIGATION 

month  of  June  this  year  it  was  not  necessary  to  use  this  minimum 
wage  for  a  single  employee.  The  one-man  drill  has  resulted  in  a  de- 
cided increase  in  efficiency,  which,  with  further  experience,  will  in- 
crease and  will  result  in  not  only  lower  costs  but  in  higher  wages  to 
the  men.  What  is  more,  the  drill  is  popular  with  the  good  miners 
and  any  sentiment  against  it  is  made  from  without.  Any  attempt  to 
return  to  the  two-man  drill  would  be  a  backward  step  in  industrial 
progress  and  would  work  untold  hardship  to  this  district  in  its 
competition  with  other  copper  producing  districts.  It  is  as  little 
to  be  thought  of  as  the  elimination  of  any  other  labor  saving 
device.  If  copper  mining  in  Michigan  is  to  be  a  progressive  and 
permanent  institution,  we  must  shape  our  methods  now  to  be  able 
to  work  deposits  of  a  still  lower  grade  than  have  been  worked  up 
to  the  present  time,  and  the  one-man  drill  and  the  further  possible 
increase  in  the  efficiency  along  this  line  is  the  most  important  step 
now  before  us." 

This  committee,  in  order  to  understand  the  drill  and  its  work- 
ings, inspected  the  drill  at  work  underground  in  four  of  the  mines. 
The  members  of  the  committee  talked  to  men  operating  it.  They 
operated  it  themselves,  they  saw  the  drill  taken  down  and  set  up. 
The  committee  talked  to  a  number  of  miners  who  were  operating 
the  one-man  drill,  and  in  no  case  found  any  specific  objection  to 
its  use.  In  a  few  instances  the  men  claimed  that  it  was  difficult  to 
set  up  in  some  places  but  the  committee  found  that  it  is  a  practice 
among  the  miners  for  one  man  to  help  another  whenever  necessary. 
The  one-man  drill  operators  interviewed  invariably  admitted  that 
they  are  making  more  money  on  the  one-man  drill  than  they  were 
on  the  two-man  drill,  and  not  in  a  single  instance  did  the  com- 
mittee find  a  man  that  would  give  up  his  one-man  drill  to  go  back 
to  the  two-man  drill.  The  committee  found  in  some  cases  men 
who  said  that  two  men  should  be  on  the  drill,  but  when  requested 
for  their  reasons  and  asked  of  what  assistance  the  second  man 
would  be  in  operating  the  drill,  they  were  unable  to  give  any 
except  that  the  assistance  would  be  given  to  set  up  the  drill  in 
the  morning  and  to  take  it  out  of  the  way  before  blasting.  The 
committee  on  one  of  its  trips  underground  saw  one  man  set  up  his 
drill  in  nine  minutes,  but  from  what  the  committee  has  been  able 
to  ascertain,  the  average  time  required  by  miners  to  make  their 
of  work  safe  by  barring  dov."ia  loose  reck,  preparing  the 


THE  ONE-MAN  DRILL 


STRIKE  INVESTIGATION  69 

place  for  the  drill  and  setting  up  the  drill  seems  to  be  about  one 
and  one-half  hours. 

The  claim  has  also  been  made  to  the  committee  that  a  great 
many  men  would  be  thrown  out  of  work  by  the  adoption  of  this 
drill,  but  mining  men  and  engineers  in  this  particular  district  claim 
that  the  installation  of  this  one-man  drill  will  permit  mining  com- 
panies to  work  poorer  ground  than  has  ever  before  been  handled  in 
the  district  and  that  instead  of  throwing  miners  out  of  employment 
it  will  create  a  demand  for  more  miners. 

On  its  trips  underground  the  committee  took  occasion  to 
ascertain  whether  or  not  the  mining  companies  were  operating  in 
accordance  with  the  law  passed  at  the  recent  session  of  the  Legis- 
lature in  reference  to  the  one-man  drill,  namely:  the  act  providing 
that  men  operating  these  machines  should  not  be  stationed  more 
than  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  from  the  place  where  other  em- 
ployees were  at  work,  and  the  committee  found,  as  a  matter  of 
fact,  that  the  mining  companies  generally  were  operating  in  accord- 
ance with  this  act. 

From  its  investigation  the  committee  has  concluded  that  the 
one-man  drill  in  this  district  is  an  economic  necessity  and  that  the 
mining  companies  operating  in  the  district  will  insist  on  continuing 
its  use. 

The  drill  shown  in  the  illustration  is  the  type  of  one-man  drill 
known  as  the  Leyner-Ingersoll  machine,  which  is  coming  into  gen- 
eral use.  This  drill  differs  in  principle  from  the  two-man  drilling 
machine  in  that  it  is  not  a  reciprocating  machine.  In  the  two-man 
drilling  machine  the  drill  itself  is  pulled  back  and  driven  against 
the  rock  by  the  power,  while  in  the  one-man  drilling  machine  the 
drill  is  forced  into  the  rock  by  an  air-actuated  hammer  which  strikes 
directly  on  the  end  of  the  drill  while  the  drill  itself  is  being  rotated 
by  a  rotary  mechanism  which  is  a  part  of  the  machine.  In  operat- 
ing the  two-man  drill,  water  is  thrown  into  the  drill  hole  with  a  can, 
while  in  operating  the  one-man  drill,  water  is  fed  into  the  hole 
through  the  hollow  drill,  which  results  in  the  drill  hole  being 
washed  out  all  the  time  and  insures  the  drill  striking  directly  upon 
the  rock.  The  average  weight  of  the  two-man  drilling  machine  is 
290  pounds,  that  of  the  one-man  drilling  machine  is  150  pounds. 

The  committee  made  some  inquiry  as  to  how  the  one-man  drill 
is  received  by  miners  in  other  copper  districts,  especially  the  Bisbee 
district  of  Arizona,  and  quotes  herewith  from  a  letter  received  by  it 


70  STRIKE  INVESTIGATION 

under  date  of  September  29,  1913,  from  one  of  the  mining  engineers 
of  the  property  of  the  Calumet  &  Arizona  mine : 

"The  company  has  in  operation  at  the  present  time  100  one- 
man  drills,  which  is  90  per  cent  of  the  total  number  of  drills  now  in 
development  work.  Sixty-five  of  these  drills  were  purchased  dur- 
ing the  last  four  months.  The  miners  have  no  complaints  to  make 
relative  to  these  drills  and  in  the  majority  of  cases  prefer  these  to 
any  larger  drill.  The  one-man  drill  will  no  doubt  replace  all  other 
larger  drills  in  the  near  future.  I  cannot  understand  why  the  Michi- 
gan miners  should  object  to  the  drill  when  the  Bisbee  miners  can 
find  no  fault  whatever." 

3.  Minimum  Wage.  From  the  tables  and  information  given 
in  the  earlier  part  of  this  report,  showing  the  varying  conditions  at 
the  different  mines,  the  contrast  in  the  copper  contents  per  ton  of 
rock  mined  by  the  different  companies,  the  costs  of  mining  in  the 
different  mines,  it  is  apparent  that  a  general  minimum  scale  of 
wages  applied  to  all  of  the  mines  of  the  Michigan  Copper  District 
cannot  be  put  into  effect  without  working  injustice  both  to  the 
operator  and  to  the  employee.  The  injustice  to  the  operator  comes 
in  the  fact,  as  demonstrated,  that  those  companies  which  are  now 
operating  at  a  loss  and  those  companies  which  will  operate  at  a  loss 
at  the  average  price  of  copper,  will  either  have  to  be  able  to  operate 
at  a  greater  loss  or  close  down  their  mines.  Several  of  the  com- 
panies now  operating,  if  the  minimum  wage  demanded  by  the 
Western  Federation  of  Miners  went  into  effect,  would  have  to  go 
out  of  business  and  cause,  of  course,  the  throwing  out  of  employ- 
ment of  a  great  many  men.  On  the  other  hand,  a  uniform  scale  of 
wages,  doing  away  with  the  contract  system  among  the  miners  and 
trammers,  would  work  hardship  upon  a  large  body  of  the  employees 
who  now  earn  wages  in  excess  of  the  scale  advocated  by  the  West- 
ern Federation  of  Miners. 

The  real  question,  of  course,  is  whether  or  not  the  men  work- 
ing in  the  copper  industry  of  Michigan  are  being  paid  an  adequate 
wage  for  the  work  which  they  perform.  If  a  company  cannot 
operate  and  pay  its  employees  a  living  wage  that  company  should 
cease  operations. 

The  Contract  System.  The  contract  system  which  is  in  vogue 
in  the  Copper  Country  has  existed  for  a  great  many  years.  The 
chief  objection  to  it  is  the  objection  made  by  some  of  the  men  that 


STRIKE  INVESTIGATION  71 

tinder  the  system  there  are  months  when  they  do  not  obtain  enough 
pay  to  afford  them  a  living.  The  committee  investigated  this  fea- 
ture as  fully  as  it  was  able  to  do  without  having  the  specific  com- 
plaints of  all  of  the  men  before  it.  The  committee  investigated  all 
cases  presented  to  it  of  men  who  claimed  to  have  worked  an  entire 
month  on  contract  without  having  made  adequate  wages  because 
of  poor  ground  or  hard  luck,  and  found  that  in  some  instances  the 
docket  or  pay  check  for  one  month  would  seem  to  bear  out  their 
claim,  but,  on  taking  an  average  of  six  months  or  twelve  months  it 
was  invariably  found  that  the  average  pay  made  was  considerably 
higher  than  the  one  month  submitted  to  the  committee.  Contracts 
are  let  for  periods  of  two  or  three  months  by  the  mines  and,  whereas 
in  some  instances  during  the  first  month  the  pay  made  by  the  men 
was  comparatively  small,  when  the  three  months  are  taken  together 
and  averaged  the  pay  amounts  to  a  considerably  higher  figure.  The 
advantages  of  the  contract  system,  as  claimed  by  the  mine  opera- 
tors and  by  many  of  the  men,  are  that  it  affords  the  efficient  miner 
or  trammer  an  opportunity  to  make  good  pay  and  gives  him  a 
chance  to  increase  his'own  efficiency  and  increase  his  compensation 
in  proportion  thereto. 

In  examining  the  pay  rolls  of  the  various  companies  and  tabu- 
lating the  same,  the  committee  found  that  there  was  a  wide  dis- 
crepancy in  the  wages  paid  to  the  various  classes  of  labor  in  the 
various  mines.  The  wages  paid  by  some  of  the  companies  average 
considerably  higher  than  the  wages  paid  at  some  of  the  other  mines, 
one  of  the  reasons  for  this,  of  course,  being  the  fact  that,  as  before 
stated,  the  richer  mines  in  the  district  can  afford  to  pay  higher 
wages.  Other  reasons  are  the  facts  that  in  some  of  the  mines  the 
work  is  carried  on  at  a  greater  depth  and,  in  some  instances,  under 
more  unfavorable  conditions  than  at  some  of  the  more  shallow 
mines.  The  fact  that  this  discrepancy  exists  also  seems  to  bear  out 
the  statement  that  there  has  been  no  combination  or  concerted 
action  among  the  various  mine  managers  of  the  district,  and  the 
committee  is  informed  that  previous  to  this  report,  there  have  been 
no  comparative  tables  made  of  the  wages  paid  by  the  various  com- 
panies. The  tables  of  wages  paid  that  are  given  herewith  have  been 
carefully  prepared  from  the  pay  rolls  of  the  different  companies  and 
have  been  checked  and  verified  by  members  of  the  committee,  in 
order  to  make  them  authentic  and  in  accordance  with  the  exact 
facts. 


72  STRIKE  INVESTIGATION 

At  various  times  in  the  last  ten  years  the  companies  have  in- 
creased the  pay  to  employees  on  their  own  initiative.  The  last 
general  raise  in  wages  was  made  on  May  i,  1912.  At  this  time  the 
Calumet  &  Hecla  Mining  Company  and  its  subsidiaries  made  a 
general  increase  amounting  to  ten  per  cent  on  all  day  wages.  The 
other  companies  at  the  same  time  raised  wages  in  about  the  same 
proportion.  The  wage  tables  given  are  tables  of  wages  after  making 
all  deductions  for  material  such  as  powder,  fuse,  caps,  oils  and  car- 
bide, and  is  the  net  pay  that  went  to  the  men. 

The  first  table  gives  the  number  of  shifts  worked  and  earnings 
of  miners  and  trammers  in  the  various  copper  mines  of  the  district 
for  a  period  of  six  months  from  January  first  to  June  thirtieth,  1913. 


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74  STRIKE  INVESTIGATION 

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by  the  foregoing  table,  is  brought  about  by  the  payment  of  very 
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76  STRIKE  INVESTIGATION 

In  connection  with  the  above  tables  of  wages  applying  to 
miners  and  trammers,  it  may  be  said,  as  a  matter  of  enlightenment, 
that  the  tables  apply  only  to  underground  workers  who  are  gen- 
erally divided  into  the  two  classes,  the  miners  and  trammers.  The 
miners  are  the  men  who  operate  the  drills  and  handle  the  blasting 
and  breaking  down  of  the  rock.  The  trammers  load  the  rock  into 
the  tram  cars  and  see  that  it  is  conveyed  to  the  shafts,  where  it 
is  hoisted  to  the  surface.  The  work  of  the  trammer  is  the  work 
of  an  ordinary  laborer,  requiring  no  special  skill. 

Tramming.  The  conditions  under  which  trammers  work  in  the 
various  mines  differ  to  a  great  extent.  In  some  mines  where  a 
large  amount  of  rock  is  to  be  taken  out  from  one  level,  it  has  been 
possible  to  install  electric  tramming,  which  means  that  the  work  of 
the  trammer  consists  in  loading  the  cars,  which  are  then  hauled 
to  the  shaft  by  electric  motors.  In  other  mines  where  only  a 
limited  amount  of  rock  is  taken  out  at  each  level  it  has  been 
impracticable  to  establish  power  tramming  and  the  cars  are  pushed 
to  the  shaft  by  the  trammers.  The  problem  of  lightening  the  work 
of  loading  and  pushing  tram  cars  has  been  one  that  has  caused  con- 
siderable trouble.  The  average  car  trammed  by  two  men  holds  two 
and  one-half  tons  of  rock.  The  distance  which  it  is  required 
that  trammers  push  the  car  varies,  at  different  levels  in  the  various 
mines,  from  fifty  feet  to  distances  of  fifteen  or  sixteen  hundred 
feet.  The  cars  are  of  various  types  and  trammers  can  be  found 
who  insist  that  each  particular  kind  of  car  is  the  best.  All  the  cars 
run  on  steel  rails  and  the  levels  and  the  tracks  are  graded  with 
a  down  grade  toward  the  shaft  in  favor  of  the  loaded  car.  The 
number  of  cars  required  to  be  taken  out  by  men  who  work  on 
day's  pay  varies  with  the  varying  conditions  and  the  distances 
to  be  trammed. 

Loading  conditions  also  vary.  In  some  cases  the  tram  cars  are 
loaded  by  shoveling  from  the  floor  of  the  drift,  in  some  places 
they  are  loaded  from  chutes,  and  wherever  possible  a  loading  plat- 
form or  sollar  is  constructed  level  with  the  top  of  the  car  so  that  the 
work  of  loading  is  minimized.  In  some  instances  the  men  push  the 
cars  a  short  distance,  from  which  point  the  cars  are  hauled  by 
electric  or  cable  haulage.  The  tramming  is  done  in  many  cases 
by  contract  and  a  comparison  of  the  pay  made  by  trammers  work- 
ing on  day's  pay  with  those  working  on  contract  shows  that  con- 
tract trammers  make  by  far  the  biggest  wages.  At  the  same  time 


STRIKE  INVESTIGATION  77 

they  accomplish  more  work,  and  it  has  been  found  that  the  contract 
trammer  who  makes  the  biggest  pay  is  also  the  best  man  for  the 
operator.  Contract  trammers  in  the  mines  from  which  the  com- 
mittee has  been  able  to  obtain  statistics  tram  on  an  average  of 
twenty-one  tons,  while  trammers  working  on  company  account 
or  day's  pay  average  from  twelve  to  fourteen  tons. 

In  the  Calumet  and  Hecla  Mine  and  its  subsidiaries  contract 
tramming  is  encouraged,  as  it  is  claimed  that  it  results  in  higher 
wages,  cheaper  tramming  and  a  much  better  class  of  trammers. 
As  an  illustration,  at  the  Calumet  &  Hecla  Amygdaloid  mine, 
where  the  tramming  is  entirely  done  by  contract,  the  trammers' 
wages  for  the  month  of  June,  1913,  averaged  $3.34  per  shift  as  com- 
pared to  $2.56  paid  to  trammers  on  day's  pay. 

Savings  Deposits.  As  bearing  upon  the  adequacy  of  wages 
paid  and  general  living  conditions  in  the  Michigan  Copper  District, 
the  committee  was  able  to  obtain  some  information  as  to  the 
amount  of  the  savings  deposits  in  the  banks  of  Houghton  and 
Keweenaw  counties  and  found  that  at  the  time  of  the  last  bank 
statement  made  on  June  4,  1913,  savings  deposits  amounted  to 
$9,826,414.15.  In  addition  to  this  there  should  be  taken  into  con- 
sideration the  savings  invested  in  three  Building  &  Loan  Associa- 
tions doing  business  in  Houghton  County. 

4.  The  Demand  for  an  Eight-Hour  Shift.  The  problem  of 
working  hours  for  underground  employees  in  the  mines  of  Mich- 
igan seems  to  be  one  of  the  hardest  to  solve.  In  other  industries 
where  work  is  performed  on  surface  and  is  not  complicated  by  the 
necessity  for  conveying  the  men  to  and  from  their  work,  the  eight- 
hour  proposition  is,  in  most  instances,  merely  one  of  dollars  and 
cents.  When  applied  to  work  underground  many  complications 
and  problems  creep  in  which  make  it  hard  to  establish  a  uniform 
rule.  It  is  conceded,  even,  by  the  men  who  are  now  out  on  strike, 
that  underground  employees  of  the  mines  in  Michigan  do  not 
actually  work  more  than  eight  hours  a  shift,  but  it  is  claimed  that 
the  hours  from  the  time  the  men  leave  the  surface  until  they  are 
returned  to  the  surface  amounts  to  ten  or  more  hours  out  of 
the  day. 

In  other  mining  districts  where  operations  are  conducted  nearer 
the  surface  and  under  totally  different  conditions,  it  has  been  found 
practicable  to  put  into  effect  a  so-called  eight-hour  shift.  .In  many' 


78  STRIKE  INVESTIGATION 

of  these  mines  the  copper  deposits  lie  in  the  shape  of  a  blanket 
deposit  and  men  are  lowered  to  a  certain  depth  in  the  mine  from 
which  all  operations  are  carried  on. 

In  the  Michigan  mines  the  copper  deposits  lie  in  a  vein  dipping 
from  the  surface  and  operations  are  carried  on  at  many  different 
levels,  necessitating  the  lowering  of  men  to  different  distances  in 
the  mine  and,  of  course,  returning  them  from  different  levels. 
Added  to  this  is  the  immense  depth  of  Michigan  mines  as  com- 
pared to  other  mines,  all  of  which  makes  the  time  of  lowering  the 
men  to  their  work  and  bringing  them  back  to  surface  probably 
longer  than  in  any  other  mining  district.  There  also  enters  into 
this  problem  the  necessity  for  keeping  skips,  or  cars  by  which  rock 
is  hoisted  out  of  the  mine,  in  operation  for  a  long  enough  period  to 
hoist  the  rock  broken  by  the  miners ;  in  other  words,  the  time  taken 
up  in  hoisting  and  lowering  men  deducts  just  that  much  time  from 
the  period  during  which  rock  can  be  hoisted. 

As  a  matter  of  safety  men  are  lowered  in  the  mine  at  certain 
fixed  hours  in  the  beginning  of  the  shift  and  are  brought  back  to 
surface  at  certain  fixed  hours  at  the  end  of  the  shift.  During  these 
hours  no  rock  is  hoisted.  Every  precaution  is  taken  by  the  com- 
panies in  the  hoisting  and  lowering  of  men.  Special  cages  are 
put  on  for  their  use  and  in  some  of  the  mines  special  cables  are  used. 
The  cages  containing  the  men,  which  carry  only  a  limited  number, 
(tire  most  lowered  at  one  time  being  about  thirty),  are  run  at  a 
moderate  rate  of  speed  which  is  made  necessary  by  the  immense 
depth  of  the  mines.  It  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  at  some  of  the 
deeper  workings  of  the  Calumet  &  Hecla  mine  the  men  are  lowered 
on  an  incline  shaft  for  a  distance  of  a  mile  and  one-half.  The  length 
of  these  shafts  makes  it  imperative  that  great  care  should  be  taken 
in  their  upkeep  and  maintenance,  and  as  an  illustration  of  their  care 
it  may  be  stated  that  in  the  Calumet  &  Hecla  mine  some  three  hun- 
dred men  are  employed  solely  on  shaft  work  in  keeping  the  shafts 
in  repair  and  in  working  condition. 

The  committee  has  tried  to  ascertain  the  facts  as  to  the  length 
of -time  that  men  are  underground  on  each  shift  in  the  various 
mines,  how  much  time  is  required  in  lowering  the  men  and  how 
much  time  is  required  in  bringing  them  to  surface,  and  presents  the 
following  data  which  is  fairly  accurate. 

It  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  in  the  deeper  mines,  although  the 
men  quit  work  underground  at  about  the  same  time,  a  great  num- 


STRIKE  INVESTIGATION  79 

her  of  them  are  hoisted  to  surface  at  the  same  shaft  and  with  the 
same  cage  and  consequently  it  is  necessary  that  some  of  the  men 
wait  their  turn  to  get  on  the  cage  and  be  taken  to  surface,  which 
means  that  considerable  time  elapses  between,  the  time  they  stop 
work  and  reach  the  surface  over  and  above  the  actual  time  taken 
to  hoist  them.  Under  the  system  used  by  most  of  the  mines,  the 
men  who  are  lowered  first  in  the  beginning  of  the  shift  are  given 
the  privilege  of  coming  out  first  at  the  end  of  the  shift. 

Length  of  Shift  and  Time  Underground.  In  the  following 
data  the  length  of  the  shift  includes  the  time  allowed  for  going 
from  .the  surface  to  the  working  place  and  the  time  returning ;  in 
other  words,  it  is  the  time  during  which  the  men  are  actually  under- 
ground and  also  includes  one  hour  which  is  given  to  the  men  for 
luncheon. 

At  The  Mohawk  Mine  the  average  length  of  the  shift  is  ten 
hours.  The  time  consumed  each  way  in  going  to  and  from  their 
work  is  from  fifteen  to  thirty  minutes. 

The  Ahmeek  Mine.  The  length  of  the  shift  is  approximately 
ten  hours  and  fifteen  minutes,  the  time  consumed  in  going  to  and 
from  work  each  way  is  about  eight  minutes. 

The  Allouez  Mine.  The  length  of  the  shift  is  ten- ht)trrs  and 
twenty  minutes.  The  time  consumed  in  going  to  and  from  work 
each  way  is  about  fifteen  to  twenty  minutes. 

The  Osceola  Mine.  The  length  of  the  shift  is  ten  hours  and 
fifteen  minutes.  The  time  consumed  in  taking  the  men  from  the 
surface  to  the  working  place  requires  from  fifteen  to  thirty  minutes, 
depending  on  depth  of  shaft  and  distance  from  working  place.  From 
the  time  the  men  quit  working  to  the  time  they  arrive  at  surface  at 
the  end  of  the  shift  consumes  from  twenty-five  to  sixty  minutes. 

The  Wolverine  Mine.  The  length  of  the  shift  is  ten  hours  and 
fifteen  minutes.  The  time  consumed  in  going  to  and  from  work 
each  way  is  about  fifteen  to  twenty  minutes. 

The  Centennial  Mine.  The  length  of  the  shift  is  ten  hours  and 
twenty  minutes.  The  time  consumed  in  going  to  and  from  work 
each  way  is  about  ten  to  twenty  minutes. 


80  STRIKE  INVESTIGATION 

The  Calumet  &  Hecla  Mine.  The  length  of  the  shift  is  ten 
hours  and  thirty  minutes.  In  the  case  of  the  conglomerate  mine, 
where  all  the  blasting  is  of  necessity  done  at  one  time,  namely,  at 
the  end  of  the  shift,  and  where  the  depths  are  so  great  that  it  takes 
considerable  time  to  hoist  a  cage  load  of  thirty  men,  the  time  re- 
quired in  going  down  to  work,  waiting  for  the  cage,  and  returning 
to  surface  is  approximately  one  hour  and  forty-five  minutes.  In  the 
case  of  the  Amygdaloid  mine  the  time  required  in  getting  down  to 
the  working  place  and  in  returing  to  the  surface  is  about  thirty-five 
minutes. 

The  Tamarack  Mine.  The  length  of  the  shift  is  ten  hours  and 
fifteen  minutes.  The  time  consumed  in  going  to  and  from  work 
each  way  is  about  one-half  hour. 

The  Laurium  Mine.  The  length  of  the  shift  is  ten  hours.  The 
time  consumed  in  going  to  and  from  work  each  way  is  about  ten 
minutes. 

The  Oneco  Mine.  The  length  of  the  shift  is  nine  hours.  The 
time  consumed  in  going  to  and  from  work  each  way  is  about  five 
minutes. 

The  La  Salle  Mine.  The  length  of  the  shift  is  ten  hours.  The 
time  consumed  in  going  to  and  from  work  each  way  is  about  ten 
minutes. 

The  Franklin  Mine.  The  length  of  the  shift  is  nine  hours.  The 
time  consumed  in  going  to  and  from  work  each  way  is  about 
fifteen  to  thirty  minutes. 

The  Hancock  Mine.  The  length  of  the  shift  is  nine  hours.  The 
time  consumed  in  going  to  and  from  work  each  way  is  about  ten 
minutes. 

The  Quincy  Mine.  The  length  of  the  shift  is  nine  hours.  The 
time  consumed  in  going  to  and  from  work  each  way  is  about  thirty 
minutes. 

The  Superior  Mine.  The  length  of  the  shift  is  ten  hours  and 
twenty  minutes.  The  time  consumed  in  going  to  and  from  work 
each  way  is  about  ten  minutes. 

The  Isle  Royale.  The  average  length  of  the  shift  is  nine  hours 
and  forty-eight  minutes  for  miners  and  -  nine  hours  and  fifty-five 


STRIKE  INVESTIGATION  31 

minutes  for  other  underground  laborers.     The  time  consumed  in 
going  to  and  from  work  each  way  is  about  five  to  fifteen  minutes. 

The  Copper  Range  Mines.  In  the  ordinary  shift  all  men  start 
underground  at  seven  o'clock  A.  M.  and  start  back  at  four  forty-five 
P.  M.,  having  one  hour  at  noon  for  lunch.  The  time  consumed  in 
descending  and  ascending  is  from  fifteen  to  thirty  minutes, 

The  Winona.  The  length  of  the  shift  is  nine  hours.  The  time 
consumed  in  going  to  and  from  work  each  way  is  about  fifteen 
minutes. 

Three  Shifts.  It  is  impracticable  in  the  mines  of  the  copper 
district  of  Michigan  to  work  three  eight-hour  shifts,  this  for  various 
reasons,  one  reason  being  the  fact  that  it  takes  so  much  time  to 
lower  the  men  to  work  and  to  bring  them  back  to  surface,  another 
reason  being  that  at  the  end  of  the  day's  work  when  the  miners 
blast  their  holes,  a  period  of  from  one  to  two  hours  must  elapse 
before  men  can  work  in  the  same  place  again  because  of  the  gases 
which  are  generated  by  the  explosions. 

In  some  of  the  mining  districts  of  the  United  States,  notably 
the  Butte  district,  the  men  work  an  eight-hour  shift,  going  to  their 
work  on  their  own  time  but  being  brought  to  surface  on  the  com- 
pany's time.  In  the  mines  in  Michigan  no  attempt  has  heretofore 
been  made  to  inaugurate  any  kind  of  an  eight-hour  shift. 

The  Saturday  Shift.  The  committee  interviewed  quite  a  num- 
ber of  men  in  order  to  get  their  ideas  as  to  what  they  wanted  in  the 
way  of  an  eight-hour  shift  and  found  that  the  men  were  not,  at  all 
unanimous  in  their  wishes.  Under  the  present  system  there  exists 
a  custom  which  was  put  into  effect  in  the  earlier  days  of  the  copper 
mining  industry  in  Michigan,  which  a  great  many  of  the  men  would 
not  like  to  see  done  away  with.  Miners  working  on  the  day  shift 
work  only  until  noon  on  Saturday  and  then  do  not  go  to  work  until 
the  following  Monday  night,  when  they  start  in  the  night  shift  for 
that  week.  This  gives  them  Saturday  afternoon,  all  of  Sunday  and 
all  of  Monday.  Miners  working  on  the  night  shift  finish  their 
week's  work  when  they  come  to  the  surface  on  Saturday  morning. 
They  do  not  work  Saturday  night,  nor  Sunday  night,  but  commence 
the  following  week's  work  on  Monday  morning  when  they  go  on 
day  shift  for  that  week.  In  all  of  the  mines  it  is  customary  to  pay 
the  miners  on  day  shift  who  work  only  five  and  one-half  shifts  for 


82  STRIKE  INVESTIGATION 

six  full  shifts.  The  mines  in  Michigan  have  never  operated  on  Sun- 
day .and  it  seems  to  be  well  understood  among  the  men  that  if  an 
eight-hour  shift  is  inaugurated  that  it  will  mean  a  full  Saturday 
shift  for  the  miners.  The  result  of  the  above  custom  is  that  miners 
in  a  month  of  twenty-six  working  days  work  only  twenty-three 
shifts  and  are  paid  for  twenty-four  shifts.  The  wage  tables,  above 
given,  are  based  on  twenty-four  shifts.  If  based  on  twenty-three 
shifts  or  the -time  actually  worked,  the  figures  would  be  proportion- 
ately higher. 

It  has  been  stated  by  the  various  mine  managers,  to  the  rep- 
resentative of  the  governor  who  was  here,  that  the  establishment 
of  an  eight-hour  shift  has  been  under  consideration  for  some  time. 
On  account  of  the  problems  hereinbefore  mentioned  it  will  be  im- 
possible to  put  it  in  force  in  a  short  period  of  time,  but  in  any  event 
it  seems  to  be  extremely  doubtful  as  to  whether  or  not  an  eight- 
hour  shift  will  meet  with  universal  favor  among  the  men. 

Treatment  of  Men  by  Petty  Bosses.  In  regard  to  the  com- 
plaint that  was  made  by  some  of  the  men  of  the  treatment  by 
petty  bosses,  it  may  be  said  that  this  complaint  is  a  general  com- 
plaint- which  is  bound  to  exist  in  any  industry  which  requires  the 
number  of  petty  bosses  that  are  required  in  the  mining  industry. 
It  may  be  taken  for  granted  that  no  mine  manager  wants  his  under 
bosses  to  mistreat  his  men,  and  the  solution  of  this  problem  lies  in 
providing  an  adequate  method  by  which  men  can  present  their 
grievances  to  the  management.  It  is  claimed  by  some  of  the  men 
that  they  dare  not  make  complaints  against  a  petty  boss  without 
incurring  the  displeasure  of  that  boss  and  running  the  chance  of 
losing  their  jobs.  It  is  undoubtedly  true  that  some  of  the  bosses 
who  are  promoted  from  the  ranks  are  not  competent  to  handle  the 
men  under  them.  It  is  undoubtedly  also  true  that  many  of  the 
complaints  that  are  now  heard  against  under  bosses  arise  out  of 
feelings  of  jealousy  and  personal  grudge,  and  can  not  be  adjusted 
in  a  general  way,  but  can  only  be  taken  up  in  individual  cases  and 
sifted  to  find  the  truth.  The  committee  believes  that  all  of  the 
mine  managers  of  the  Copper  District  would  willingly  adjust  any 
legitimate  complaint  against  any  of  the  minor  bosses,  if  brought  to 
their  attention. 

Access  to  Management.  As  to  the  presentation  of  grievances, 
the  committee  finds  the  fact  to  be  that  many  of  the  men  feel  they 


STRIKE  INVESTIGATION  83 

have  no  way  of  getting  to  the  men  in  authority  who  could  adjust 
their  grievances.  This  problem  is  one  largely  of  reassuring  men 
of  the  fact  that  they  may  go  freely  to  their  employers  and  present 
their  grievances  and  troubles  without  incurring  discrimination. 
Heretofore  in  the  district  this  has  been  accomplished  at  times  by 
committees  in  the  case  of  general  grievances,  and  at  times  by  the 
individual  making  a  personal  visit  to  the  man  in  authority.  The 
committee  has  tried  to  ascertain  whether  or  not  any  mining  com- 
pany has  discriminated  against  any  man  or  has  discharged  him  for 
making  complaints,  and  has  been  unable  to  find  one  case  where  that 
has  been  done.  Nevertheless,  the  fact  remains  that  many  of-'the  men 
do  not  feel  free  to  go  to  their  employers  with  their  grievances.  The 
committee  also  has  been  unable  to  find  a  single  case  where  any 
employer,  mine  manager  or  person  in  authority  has  refused  to 
meet  with  any  man  or  with  any  committee  of  the  men  to  discuss  the 
grievances  and  problems  arising  during  the  course  of  the  work..  If  - 
some  method  could  be  adopted  by  which  the  men  could  beiassured- 
that  they  might  come  freely  to  their  employers  and  tell- "theif  - 
troubles  and  present  their  grievances  without  .incurring  any  xlis^ 
pleasure  or  discrimination,  the  problem  of  presentation  -of  grievjr  ;— 
ances  would  be  solved. 

Conclusion,  Undoubtedly  by  withholding  this  report  for  some 
future  time,  the  committee  would  be  enabled  to  embody  much  valu- 
able information  and  data  which  is  not  at  hand  at  the  present,  but 
it  is  felt  that  the  publication  of  the  report  at  this  time,  giving  the 
facts  as  the  committee  has  found  them,  may  help  to  clear  away 
many  of  the  false  issues  that  have  been  raised  and  may  do  some- 
thing toward  bringing  to  a  termination  the  unfortunate  state  of 
affairs  existing  in  the  Copper  Country. 

The  Committee  has  come  to  the  conclusion  that : 

1.  The  mine  managers  will  not  recognize  the  Western  Federa- 
tion of  Miners. 

2.  No  minimum  wage  applicable  to  all  mines  in  the  district 
can  be  established  with  justice  to  all  parties  concerned. 

3.  The  one-man  drill  has  come  to  stay. 

The  committee  has  also  concluded : 

i.     That  the  question  of  establishing  some  kind  of  an  8-hour 


84  STRIKE  INVESTIGATION 

working  day  ought  to  receive  the  serious  consideration  of  both  men 
and  operators. 

2.  That  some  attempt  ought  to  be  made  to  provide  an  ade- 
quate method  by  which  the  employee  can  obtain  and  have  per- 
fectly free  access  to  the  management  for  the  purpose  of  presenting 
grievances  without  fear  of  discrimination  or  discharge. 

With  these  conclusions  in  mind,  the  committee  decided  to 
meet  the  managers  of  the  various  mining  companies  and  put  before 
them  its  findings  relative  to  an  8-hour  shift  and  the  presentation 
of  grievances,  with  the  hope  that  something  might  be  done  to  adjust 
those  matters. 

At  the  meeting  which  was  held  there  were  present  managers  or 
other  representatives  of  each  of  the  companies  mentioned  in  the 
report,  and  the  following  statement  was  made  to  the  committee 
and  agreed  to  by  each  representative : 

1.  That,    as    previously    stated,    the    mining   companies    had 
under  favorable  consideration  for  some  time  previous  to  the  strike, 
the  establishment  of  an  8-hour  working  day  for  underground  em- 
ployees;  that  the  different  conditions  at  the  various  mines  render 
it  impossible  to  work  out  an  absolutely  uniform  working  day  for 
all  underground  employees  at  all  of  the  mines;  that  each  manage- 
ment will  work  the  problem  out  with  reference  to  its  own  peculiar 
conditions ;  that  this  could  not  be  done  in  a  short  time ;  but  that 
each  management  will  establish  and  have  in  operation  an  8-hour 
working  day  for  underground  employees  on  or  before  January  i, 
1914. 

2.  That  the  adjustment  of  grievances  ultimately  rests  with  the 
general  manager,  superintendent  or  man  highest  in  authority  at  the 
mine; 

That,  therefore,  the  solution  of  the  grievance  problem  lies  in 
providing  and  maintaining  a  method  of  free  access  between  the 
men  and  the  general  manager  or  official  highest  in  authority  at 
the  mine ; 

That,  therefore,  each  manager  will  set  aside  a  certain  fixed  day 
or  half  day  in  each  week  as  a  day  for  hearing  complaints  and 
grievances ; 

That  he  will  devote  such  day  exclusively  to  meeting  men  and 
hearing  complaints; 


STRIKE  INVfcSTldAflbN  85 

That  he  will  investigate  every  complaint  presented  to  him  and 
will  adjust  every  legitimate  grievance  with  all  possible  speed; 

That  he  will  see  to  it  that  no  man  is  discriminated  or  militated 
against  because  of  presenting  complaints ; 

That  he  will  prepare  a  notice  embodying  the  above  and  will 
distribute  it  among  his  employees. 

The  committee  feels  that  with  the  inauguration  of  the  above 
plans  there  must  necessarily  come  closer  acquaintance  between 
employer  and  employee,  from  which  will  result  untold  good  to  both 
parties. 

This  report  is  closed  with  the  heartfelt  hope  that  the  work  of 
the  committee,  and  the  data  gathered  by  it,  will  in  some  measure 
aid  in  restoring  the  good  name  of  this  district,  and  will  in  some 
measure  aid  the  parties  concerned  in  the  strike  to  bring  it  to  a  close. 

Dated  Calumet,  Mich.,  October  8,  1913. 

EDWARD  ULSETH, 
HENRY  L.  BAER, 
J.  W.  BLACK, 

Special  Committee,  Copper  Country  Commercial  Club. 

The  foregoing  report  was  presented  and  read  to  the  under- 
signed Board  of  Directors  of  the  Copper  Country  Commercial  Club 
on  this  tenth  day  of  October,  1913,  and  the  same  is  hereby  approved. 

JOS.  W.  SELDEN,  President, 
FREDERICK  K.  GUCK,  Secretary, 
W.  R.  THOMPSON,  Treasurer, 
THOS.  W.  ARMSTRONG, 
J.  P.  PETERMANN, 
A.  F.  HEIDKAMP, 
HOMER  A.  GUCK, 
JOHN  B.  DEE, 
JAMES  T.  FISHER, 

Board  of  Directors  of  the  Copper  Country  Commercial  Club. 


M.  A.  DONOHUE  &  COMPANY 
PRINTERS      :-:     :-:      CHICAGO 


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